The lesser-risk Hyundai i30 is a manual 1.4 petrol with any steering recall done and a clutch that bites cleanly, but don't buy a 1.6 GDi or 1.6 CRDi without proof of frequent oil changes.
2 known faults, 2 rated high severity in our database; owners report 47.2 mpg, 83% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a Hyundai i30 advert (free) →A manual i30 with the 1.4 petrol is the lesser risk, as it sidesteps the High timing chain and turbo faults that oil neglect brings on the 1.6 GDi and 1.6 CRDi, but its own record isn't clean. Owners have blamed clutch failures on petrols so quiet it's hard to judge the revs, one 2010 1.4 lost its power steering twice, and 2010 1.4 cars were recalled to reprogramme the steering, so check the clutch bite and the recall paperwork.
The first i30, sold from 2007 to 2012, has plenty of owner trouble on record, and most of it centres on the electric power steering. Recalls tightened loose steering column bolts on 2007 and 2008 cars and reprogrammed the steering control unit on first-generation cars, while several owners have had the assistance go light or lock. The 4-speed automatic failed at 25,080 miles for one owner and at 84,000 for another, so stick with a manual.
Cars from 2012 to 2017 still carry both High faults. The 1.6 GDi's timing chain tensioner can fail between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, and the 1.6 CRDi's turbo can fail between 70,000 and 120,000 miles once carbon blocks its oil feed. Neither is worth buying without a stamped record of frequent oil changes, and 2012 GDi manuals were recalled for a handbrake that didn't fully release.
The i30 sold from 2017 has only a handful of owner reports, which isn't the same as a clean record, and the 1.6 CRDi turbo fault covers cars up to 2018. Two owners had trouble with the DCT automatic, one with notchy shifts into second and reverse and one losing drive at low speed, and a 2018 1.6 CRDi owner saw the DPF regenerating every 50 miles or so. A manual is the safer pick here too.
The 1.4 petrol with a manual gearbox is the lesser risk because it avoids the oil-starved chain and turbo faults on the 1.6s, though clutches and steering are its weak spots on record. Owners have reported clutch failures, put down to drivers not hearing the quiet engine's revs, and a 2010 1.4 lost its power steering and lit the ESP light even after a new wiring loom. It's also been called old-fashioned and short of pull in the Tourer.
The 1.6 GDi petrol is one to buy only with proof of frequent oil changes. Its timing chain tensioner can fail between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, letting the chain jump teeth and damage the engine, and the chain has no scheduled replacement, so the oil record is your only protection. A rattle when it starts from cold, an engine management light or misfires mean you should leave that car where it is.
The 1.6 CRDi diesel carries its own High fault: skipped oil changes let carbon block the turbo's oil feed pipes and strainer, and the turbo can then fail between 70,000 and 120,000 miles. It's chain driven too, and one 2010 car's chain failed at 13,650 miles, put down to oil contaminated by low-mileage use. Owners have also reported glow plug failures, including one at 57,000 miles. On the older 2.0 CRDi, one owner replaced the fuel pump and then the turbo.
Stick with a manual gearbox. The first cars' 4-speed automatic has failed for two owners, and a 2.0 CRDi auto locked its drivetrain at 35,000 miles when a drive plate bolt came loose. The DCT on 2017-on cars has two owner reports of rough shifts and lost drive. Manuals aren't spotless, though: owners have reported a bearing failure on a 2009 car and a failed synchro ring and bearings on a 2014 Tourer after its 20,000 mile service.
The steering is the first thing to test, because several owners have had the electric power steering go light, lock solid or light up a warning, and some needed a new steering column. Turn it from lock to lock with the engine running and watch for EPS, ESP or ABS lights on a faster stretch; one owner's came on above 45mph. Ask for proof that whichever steering recalls apply to that car were done.
On a 1.6 GDi or 1.6 CRDi, ask for receipts showing frequent oil changes and start the engine from cold yourself. A rattle on the GDi, or a whine like a siren, blue smoke or a loss of power on the CRDi, all point to the known faults. One 1.6 CRDi owner's clouds of white smoke on start-up turned out to be the glow plugs, and one 2011 1.6 CRDi hiccuped on its DPF soon after start-up at 31,000 miles.
Let the handbrake off on a slope and make sure the car rolls freely, as 2012 GDi manuals were recalled for a handbrake that didn't fully release because the rear calipers corroded, so ask for proof that work was done. One owner's handbrake also read 78 on the nearside against 168 on the offside. Check the tyre pressure warning isn't lit, since owners have reported the valve sensors failing, with corrosion blamed, and fold the key a few times: owners have reported the shafts crumbling.
Run through every gear, reverse included, and listen for a rubbing noise from the gearbox. On a first-generation automatic, judder or lost drive in top gear on a gentle climb is how one owner's gearbox failed. Try the air con, since two owners have had the condenser fail, and check the central locking opens from the fob, as one owner's driver's door lock wouldn't respond early in the day.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
A manual 1.4 petrol is the i30 to buy from these years, and a 1.6 GDi or 1.6 CRDi only with oil change receipts, since both carry High faults that show up from 60,000 and 70,000 miles. The GDi's chain tensioner can let the chain jump teeth, and the CRDi's turbo starves of oil when carbon blocks its feed pipes. The Tourer estate has plenty of room inside, but you're buying on the paperwork here.
Electrics and steering are the recurring trouble. A 2012 1.6 CRDi owner had warning lights, a dead speedometer and steering that went very light, and the faults carried on into 2013 despite repairs. One 2010 1.6 CRDi needed a new instrument display under warranty, and other owners have had the power steering lock or cut out. The steering software recall covers first-generation cars from these years, so check it's been done.
Gearboxes are worth a careful drive. The 4-speed automatic failed at 84,000 miles on one 2010 car, a 2014 1.6 CRDi Tourer's manual needed a synchro ring and bearings soon after its 20,000 mile service, and a 12-month-old car developed a rubbing noise from the transmission. On 2012 GDi manuals, a recall dealt with a handbrake that wouldn't fully release because water corroded the rear calipers, so ask for proof it's been done.
Real-world economy on this generation: Hyundai i30 49.0 mpg, Hyundai i30 Tourer 52.2 mpg, Hyundai i30 45.7 mpg, Hyundai i30 Tourer 46.3 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any Hyundai i30 advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 47.2 mpg across the Hyundai i30 engines with data, about 83% of the official figure, from 1,396 submissions.
Hyundai i30 Real MPG by engine →The 2017 car has a usefully roomy boot for everyday loads. That later car's cabin feels solidly put together, and it's quiet and settled enough at motorway speeds that long runs don't leave you worn out. It's the kind of hatchback you can pile miles onto without it feeling like hard work.
Hyundai drove every i30 off its production line round a test track before it left the factory, even in the depths of winter when the track needed clearing of snow. Tyres can go a long way, too: one owner covered 40,000 miles on a single set of 15-inch tyres on his 2009 car.
The lesser-risk Hyundai i30 is a manual 1.4 petrol with any steering recall done and a clutch that bites cleanly, but don't buy a 1.6 GDi or 1.6 CRDi without proof of frequent oil changes. Our database holds 2 known Hyundai i30 faults, 2 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
The steering is the first thing to test, because several owners have had the electric power steering go light, lock solid or light up a warning, and some needed a new steering column. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Hyundai i30 fault before you travel.
Owners report 47.2 mpg on average, about 83% of the official figure, from 1,396 submissions. Chain (1.6 GDI, 1.6 CRDI, 1.7 CRDI, D4FB, D4FD, G4FD): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Hyundai i30 Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Hyundai i30 buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 66 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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The Hyundai i30 is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
Looking at a Hyundai i30 right now? Check the advert before you go and see it.