Common Problems with the
2002 Hyundai Coupe (GK)

Salt is the story of the late-life GK Coupe. Get Car Wise's MOT analysis shows structural corrosion within 30 cm of suspension mounting points at 28 times the fleet average - rear axle-beam mountings and front strut turrets worst - alongside suspension component damage at close to 100 times. Owners at the Hyundai Coupe Owners Club describe the specific hiding places: rear arches that pack muck and rot from inside, and rust blooming behind the plastic under-sill seals, diagnosed by pressing the seal and hearing the crunch of disintegrated metal behind it. Once structural, repair costs exceed value and the car fails its MOT.

Front suspension wear is a dominant failure mode on the GK Coupe, which DVSA MOT tracking places at close to 100 times the national fleet average for suspension component damage or corrosion. The front lower suspension arms (wishbones) are prone to internal rust perforation and splitting around the ball joint housings, prompting historic Hyundai recall campaigns. Furthermore, front anti-roll bar drop links wear rapidly, producing loud knocking and rattling noises over potholes and road speed cushions.

The Coupe's hydraulic assist is a tracked failure on both the fault-guides and the owners' forum: Get Car Wise lists complete power-steering system failure among the model's five tracked issues, and HCOC threads walk through PAS belt replacement and warn that a slack alternator belt makes the power-steering belt slip and squeal on full lock. In the real UK it shows as a shriek from the engine bay when parking, lumpy or heavy steering at low speed, and ultimately loss of assist if the pump or belt gives up - a few hundred pounds to fix if caught early, a road-hazard if ignored.

A hallmark electrical fault on the GK Coupe centres on the Body Control Module (BCM) located behind the driver knee panel. The indicator, hazard, and central locking relays are soldered directly onto the BCM printed circuit board rather than using replaceable socketed fuses. When the internal miniature relay contacts weld together, turn signals stick permanently on even with the ignition turned off, or the hazard fuse repeatedly blows. Specialist repairs involve desoldering and replacing the internal board relay, as used replacement BCMs risk immobiliser coding lockouts.

Rear parking brake inefficiency is an endemic MOT failure on the GK Coupe, with DVSA records showing the model fails at over 37 times the national fleet average. The rear disc calipers incorporate an integrated mechanical handbrake pivot arm that corrodes and seizes when exposed to UK road salt. Furthermore, the multi-section handbrake cables stretch and bind inside their nylon sheaths, resulting in excessive lever travel, dragging rear pads that overheat the discs, and failure to hold the vehicle securely on steep inclines.

Factory clutches on the GK Coupe—most notably on the 2.7-litre V6 paired with the six-speed manual gearbox—are notorious for premature wear at modest mileages. RAC used car records and owner club data emphasize that the friction plate wears rapidly, with biting points creeping to the very top of pedal travel. Vigorous acceleration causes clutch slip in higher gears, accompanied by release bearing chirping or squealing when the pedal is depressed. On 2.7 V6 models, flywheel replacement adds significant expense to the clutch job.