Just bought the car last night and already feeling like the tires are out of balance. We’re at a tire place getting it checked now. Dealer said it’s ‘normal for 21-inch tires,’ but I just came from an Audi with 22s and never had issues. Thinking it might just need a solid balance, hopefully that’s all. If this doesn’t work, we’ll go back to the dealer. Either way, it’s a beautiful car!
Y
Had a road force balance done… tires are egg-shaped with numbers way too high according to Discount Tire. Had Pirelli Scorpions for 4 years without issues, so I’m guessing it’s a defect in these tires. Dealer insists everything’s fine because their balance was ‘okay,’ but now I’m waiting on a callback from the service manager.
@Soren
No way they actually balanced those tires before delivery. Hold onto all your paperwork. You might end up fighting for new tires—or maybe even new rims and tires. Don’t hesitate to call Hyundai if the dealer drags their feet.
@Soren
I had the same problem with my 2024 Santa Fe XRT. After a 4-month battle, they finally replaced two defective tires.
Amari said:
@Soren
I had the same problem with my 2024 Santa Fe XRT. After a 4-month battle, they finally replaced two defective tires.
What was the exact problem with your tires, if you know?
Wasn’t there a post where someone had a warped rotor? Not saying that’s it, but worth a check.
Addison said:
Wasn’t there a post where someone had a warped rotor? Not saying that’s it, but worth a check.
If the tire shop is saying the numbers are too high, they’re measuring each wheel off the vehicle. I wonder if they tried rotating the tire 180 degrees on the rim to see if it would help the balance, like when the heavy spots on the tire and rim line up.
@Brooke
They’re saying numbers are between 41 and 53 across all 4 tires, but should be below 20. The tires are supposedly too misshapen to ever balance right. We’re taking it back to the dealership tomorrow, so they can check it out.
@Soren
It’s wild that all 4 tires would be bad, but something’s clearly off. Sometimes, water can get inside the tires and throw off the balance—hasn’t happened to me, but I’ve seen it. I’ll be interested to hear what the dealer finds out.
@Brooke
The dealer balanced them this morning, said they weren’t that far off, and don’t believe what the tire place told us. The tire shop said the dealer’s balance wasn’t perfect and did a better one. It improved a bit, but still has issues. They even said the tires are oblong and not spinning right.
I doubt we got 4 defective tires, but maybe because it sat for months on the lot, it’s got flat spots that won’t go away? I’m in Texas, so the concrete’s hot. The car’s a 2024 with 17 miles on it, so it couldn’t have been driven much. When I test-drove another Santa Fe from the same dealer, it felt like the tires were off, but I thought it was just that car. Now, I’m wondering if this is a common issue.
Sounds like US dealer inspections are just awful.
Ari said:
Sounds like US dealer inspections are just awful.
Totally agree. I even found plastic film that hadn’t been removed when they sent us home.
Ari said:
Sounds like US dealer inspections are just awful.
Totally agree. I even found plastic film that hadn’t been removed when they sent us home.
Yeah, I remember seeing a post from a new 2024 owner who found the car had basically no coolant. Canadian dealerships seem way better, at least where I went—nice coffee, snack lounge, very clean, super professional. Not what I hear about the US experience, though.
@Ari
Bought ours at the largest Hyundai dealer in Colorado. Nice facility with a café, but they charge for food and drinks, unlike Lexus. Found greasy fingerprints on the seats, and when I asked the guys fixing it about inspection, they said it’s ‘mostly done at the port.’ Funny, because ours was built in Alabama, not shipped overseas. My experience with this dealer chain has been horrible over the years.
@Whitney
Can’t believe they charge for coffee! And who’s doing these inspections at the port? It should be the dealership going over everything top to bottom, not an overworked port worker.
Ari said:
@Whitney
Can’t believe they charge for coffee! And who’s doing these inspections at the port? It should be the dealership going over everything top to bottom, not an overworked port worker.
Unfortunately, it’s all typical of this dealership group. I’ve met people who left to work elsewhere, and they have plenty of horror stories about working there.
@Whitney
Seems like a US vs. Canada difference. I saw data comparing Hyundai models made in Alabama vs. Korea, and the Korean-made ones generally had fewer issues across the board, not just with the Santa Fe.
@Ari
That doesn’t surprise me. My 2010 Genesis was Korean-built and never gave me issues. Our '24 Santa Fe already has some rattles, which shouldn’t be a thing in a $50k car.
Ari said:
Sounds like US dealer inspections are just awful.
They tried telling me, ‘it’s supposed to drive like this because of the 21-inch wheels.’ I just laughed and told them, ‘No, it isn’t!’ I’ve had 21-inch+ wheels on my last three cars and never had this problem.
Sometimes tires can develop flat spots if they sit on hot asphalt. Try driving to warm up the tires a bit and see if the vibration eases. You won’t get an accurate road force balance if the tires are still flat-spotted.