Used Hyundai i30 Hatchback 2012-2017 reliability

There aren’t many common reported faults with the Hyundai i30, but when you inspect the car, you should make the usual checks. That includes insuring there’s no untoward smoke pouring from the exhaust (a little black smoke on hard acceleration is OK with a diesel model).

If you’re banking on keeping the five-year manufacturer going right to the end, you should also check that there’s evidence the car’s been serviced in accordance with Hyundai’s service schedule, in the form of stamps in the service book or invoices. And make sure genuine Hyundai parts have been used, too.

Only one recall has been issued affecting this model of i30. It affects manual cars built in January and February 2012, and required a new seal to be fitted to the handbrake calipers in order to ensure it continues to release properly. If you’re looking at one of the affected cars, it’s worth checking the work has been carried out.

Fortunately, few common faults seem to afflict the i30, though the one exception is that some owners’ clubs do report more frequent issues with diesel automatic models. The most common symptom is a juddering, either while cruising or under acceleration, though it’s thought the problem can usually be cured with little more than a software update.

Despite the earliest models now being more than a decade old, the Hyundai i30 is proving to be a dependable model. In fact, it placed third in our 2023 list of the most reliable used family cars, with a score of 94.9%. In our rundown of the most reliable used car brands, Hyundai was rated eighth out of 30 manufacturers.

It’s worth bearing in mind that while the five-year manufacturer's warranty will have ended, all issues within that time period should have been addressed - in theory, at least.