Is the 3.3 engine a future problem, like the other Hyundai/Kia engines?

[Buzzman12]

There's been a lot of stories the past few years regarding the engine issues that Hyundai/Kia has.
It seems though that all I'm reading about is the 4 cylinder 2.0 and 2.4 Theta GDI engines.
As a one year owner of a 2023 Stinger with the 3.3 V6 engine, I'm concerned about the future.
Does anyone have any data or news on whether the V6 has the same issues? Will our Stingers suffer the same issues in the future?
I don't drive mine much, as it is not my DD, so the mileage will be low.
Do I have reason to worry, and will this problem that Hyundai/Kia have, bring down the resale value of our cars?
Thanks.

 

[Ohiocruiser]

3.3 tt engine looks to be a solid engine. You don't have to worry about it. Resale value will still suck thought.

 

[Snicklefritz]

"A lot of stories." I must live under a rock. How could JD Power rate KIA in the top five for reliability year after year with "a lot" of engine failures?

 

[Buzzman12]

"A lot of stories." I must live under a rock. How could JD Power rate KIA in the top five for reliability year after year with "a lot" of engine failures?

You can start by googling class action lawsuit against Hyundai.

 

[Snicklefritz]

You can start by googling class action lawsuit against Hyundai.

Theft and engine fires? Why didn't the OP specify what your concerns are? There is literally nothing about the 3.3L engine involved in any of these incidents. Why would you get worried over literally nothing? Notice also, that many of the fires caused were improperly "corrected" fuel line from a previous recall. This is not an engine flaw. The "thousands of fires" still constitute a miniscule number of total vehicles sold. Ima not minimizing the pain and loss, just looking for perspective.

 

[Buzzman12]

Theft and engine fires? Why didn't the OP specify what your concerns are? There is literally nothing about the 3.3L engine involved in any of these incidents. Why would you get worried over literally nothing? Notice also, that many of the fires caused were improperly "corrected" fuel line from a previous recall. This is not an engine flaw. The "thousands of fires" still constitute a miniscule number of total vehicles sold. Ima not minimizing the pain and loss, just looking for perspective.

I'm not talking about theft and engine fires, I'm talking about engine failures.
Mainly starts with excessive oil consumption, and rod knock. Crank bearings fail on these GDI engines and Hyundai/Kia is replacing thousands of engines under warranty.

from google: "Engine issues affecting over a dozen Kia and Hyundai models manufactured during different periods from 2010 to 2020 were at the centre of a recent class-action lawsuit worth $3.1 billion."

Also: "The problems with Hyundai and Kia engines have been severe enough to lead to numerous class-action lawsuits in the United States. In many cases, courts have ruled in favour of the car owners, forcing the manufacturers to repair or replace defective engines at no cost to the consumer.
Both brands have made some improvements to their manufacturing processes in recent years and have offered extended warranties for certain models to cover the cost of engine repairs in case of failure."

 

[Thomby]

There are all kinds of ways to gauge vehicle reliability/longevity, and in something as complex as a car, it's hard to have a single measure to capture everything. So for example, how do you weigh a rare but very impactful event like an engine failure, vs. smaller but more frequent defects, vs. minor annoyances like squeaks and rattles?

I think it's pretty fair to say that Kia/Hyundai have had a huge upswing over the past decade or so, and by various measures have scored with the best of them on reliability. JD Power's "issues per 100 vehicles" is one example shown below.

I think it's equally fair to say that the Stinger, as Kia's first real attempt at a premium sports sedan, and due to its heavy set of features, high performance, and low volume, probably won't prove the most reliable of Kia's cars. But based on what we've seen over the last 6 years, and anecdotal long term reports from the car mags, it seems to be holding together pretty well, and will almost certainly be more reliable than any of the competing Germans it's undercutting (which don't have 100k warranties).

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a22993952/kia-stinger-gt-reliability-long-term-update/

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2018-kia-stinger-gt-long-term-verdict/

 

[Snicklefritz]

I'm not talking about theft and engine fires, I'm talking about engine failures.

Of which we have learned of a handful on this forum for the engines in the Stinger. And most of those are modified drivetrains.

 

[Buzzman12]

Ya, I was slightly concerned that maybe the V6 Stinger engine had the same design flaw that the 4 cylinder GDI engines have, which, in a nutshell, is poor lubrication of the crankshaft bearings due to poor oil flow (oil passages are too small apparently).
As for me personally, I am not into modifying the engine with a tune kit, or stuff like that. The car is plenty quick for me.
Theft is a different issue, and I am paranoid about that too. My car stays in my garage when not driven, so at least it can't be stolen out of my driveway. If I'm going anywhere that concerns me re theft or security, I drive my other vehicle.
Anyway, from what I've gathered lately, the 3.3 should be a lot more reliable than the Theta GDI engines.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Theft is a different issue, and I am paranoid about that too.

I guess you could call me a bit paranoid too. I keep my fob in a faraday bag as my minimalist wallet. But no Stingers have been reported stolen by fob "capture". I don't know why the Stinger is apparently immune from theft this way, while other KIA models are among the most stolen vehicles.

 

[Buzzman12]

I use faraday bags as well. My other car is a 2016 Lexus RX350. It's parked outside.
It's getting a little old to be on the most stolen list, but I still keep my fob in a bag at home.

 

[Thomby]

Theft is a different issue, and I am paranoid about that too. My car stays in my garage when not driven, so at least it can't be stolen out of my driveway. If I'm going anywhere that concerns me re theft or security, I drive my other vehicle.

I guess you could call me a bit paranoid too. I keep my fob in a faraday bag as my minimalist wallet. But no Stingers have been reported stolen by fob "capture". I don't know why the Stinger is apparently immune from theft this way, while other KIA models are among the most stolen vehicles.

The Kias you see stolen for joy rides in the expected areas aren't sophisticated key hacks. It's older budget models that don't have a chip key/immobilizer, so they can be started the old school way of prying into the key cylinder.

The good news is that the Stinger (and the nicer Kia SUVs, and Genesis/Hyundai models) don't have this vulnerability. The bad news is that your local Kia Boyz aren't going to know or care until they've smashed your car open to try it.

Both Kia corporate and a lot of local police departments were giving out free Club-style steering wheel locks, and it wouldn't surprise me if dealerships or police stations still had closets full they'd let you have, but unfortunately I think the better defense is to not live in places that have given Kia Boyz a free pass to do whatever they want.

 

[stoopid]

Worth noting that Consumer Reports doesn't place Kia as high as JD Power in their reliability rankings. It's good to have multiple watchdogs but it's best as a consumer to take a blend of the results and not subscribe to one survey being better than the other. The 'blended' results still puts Kia in the top 10, but nowhere near #3.

Kia has tried to move upmarket but their dealership/service are still languishing behind their model pricing. At least with a German import you'd get a rental while waiting for warranty repairs, with Kia you luck out in getting one or none at all. And there's nothing in their terms that obligate them to provide you one. Nor are they compelled to complete the work in any sort of timely manner, so if the engine grenades maybe they'll have it swapped in a month, maybe 4 years. Meanwhile you're paying for rental and car payment.

The realities of the post-sales possibilities has opened my eyes to the budget makers and I won't be buying a Kia next car purchase despite the drivetrain seeming reliable. There's a lot of other issues that can be impactful to using the car outside of engine and transmission.

 

[rtv900]

You can start by googling class action lawsuit against Hyundai.

I feel like this is like going on Yelp and then having a panic attack and not understanding that the ONLY people who post reviews are people with negative experiences. Literally nobody posts, "everything has worked out great"
and jesus, class action lawsuits? All that means is some bottom feeding law firm somewhere figured out a technicality to take more of other peoples money to get them through another 2 years of serving no purpose to society.

 

[Buzzman12]

I feel like this is like going on Yelp and then having a panic attack and not understanding that the ONLY people who post reviews are people with negative experiences. Literally nobody posts, "everything has worked out great"
and jesus, class action lawsuits? All that means is some bottom feeding law firm somewhere figured out a technicality to take more of other peoples money to get them through another 2 years of serving no purpose to society.

Tell me what you really think.
Anyway, Hyundai/Kia has a problem, in my humble opinion. Just one of many articles on the subject:

5 Engines Consumers Should Avoid | Norman Taylor & Associates

From overheating to oil consumption and engine failure, our experienced California lemon lawyer breaks down the top five engines consumers should avoid.

normantaylor.com

 

[Buzzman12]

Another site:

Hyundai Engine Problems

www.hyundaiproblems.com

 

[D.J.]

Tell me what you really think.
Anyway, Hyundai/Kia has a problem, in my humble opinion. Just one of many articles on the subject:

5 Engines Consumers Should Avoid | Norman Taylor & Associates

From overheating to oil consumption and engine failure, our experienced California lemon lawyer breaks down the top five engines consumers should avoid.

normantaylor.com

Another site:

Hyundai Engine Problems

www.hyundaiproblems.com

Just to be clear, are you agreeing that the 3.3TT engines are not affected by any premature engine wear issues?

 

[Ohiocruiser]

Questioning v6 3.3 and than just keep bringing 4 cylinder known issue as a proof. GENIUS!!

 

[Snicklefritz]

Even the four cylinder engines are overwhelmingly reliable. Some have problems, enough to write up warning stories about. Writers gotta write, and fear sells.

 

[7Andrei7]

Ya, I was slightly concerned that maybe the V6 Stinger engine had the same design flaw that the 4 cylinder GDI engines have, which, in a nutshell, is poor lubrication of the crankshaft bearings due to poor oil flow (oil passages are too small apparently).
As for me personally, I am not into modifying the engine with a tune kit, or stuff like that. The car is plenty quick for me.
Theft is a different issue, and I am paranoid about that too. My car stays in my garage when not driven, so at least it can't be stolen out of my driveway. If I'm going anywhere that concerns me re theft or security, I drive my other vehicle.
Anyway, from what I've gathered lately, the 3.3 should be a lot more reliable than the Theta GDI engines.

Was it a design flaw though? Because none of these engine problems are present on the 4 cylinder GDIs in Europe.
I read it was a manufacturing problem that plagued the engines in the US. Metal shavings not properly cleaned in production ended up blocking oil passages.
Kia engines are very reliable in Europe. They are produced locally (in Slovakia) for most cars, except for the Stinger.
My 2.0 Stinger engine is produced in Korea. I'm now over 200k km and hope it stays as solid for many more km to come.