Hyundai i20 Hatchback (2015 - 2020) 1.2 SE 5d Owner Review

My wife and I have a 2016 Hyundai i20 with 40,000 miles on the clock.

Two years ago, whilst travelling on the M5 motorway in Birmingham, my Hyundai i20 clutch master cylinder piston broke rendering the car undriveable. I had the car towed home and the said part replaced by a local garage at a cost of £230.

Two weeks ago, this time on the M62 near Goole, exactly the same thing happened again to the two years old, master cylinder plastic piston, it snapped. This again necessitated being towed home for a replacement to be fitted.

After replacement of new clutch master cylinder, a week later the clutch locked up AGAIN (like using the brake pedal) making it impossible to start the car which requires the clutch depressing fully.

Several calls (yes, they hung up on me too!!) and unanswered emails to Hyundai UK and CR Service (their customer helpline) eventually resulted in contacting Hyundai Derby who said that the car need a new clutch pressure plate at a cost of £800-£1000.

In my opinion, the clutch system on the car is totally unfit for purpose, the cylinder operating rod being so flimsy and made of plastic and a clutch that lasts less than a motorcycle clutch is also unfit for purpose, twice leaving me in a dangerous situation at the side of a motorway.

In my opinion, this problem is not an isolated incident as a quick search on the web will quickly confirm that this has happened to many other i20 owners and would suggest that Hyundai conduct a recall on this model and fit a more substantial clutch piston ideally made of steel instead of this rubbish, brittle plastic and a better, more substantial clutch.

Hyundai after sales service and customer support is like the clutch system, absolutely woeful, AVOID AT ALL COSTS.