The Honeymoon is Over

With my new car, that is. We bought a Hyundai Sonata nine months ago, and we liked it--until Saturday, when I went to a friend's for a baby shower. When I got into it, it would not start.

Not a problem with the battery, not a problem with my key fob. It has a push-button starter--right there you multiply your problems, because you rely on electronics to start the car. Roadside assistance sent a tow truck and back it went to the dealership. They diagnosed it with a problem in the brake. You have to be pressing on the brake when you hit the starter. It somehow miscommunicated with the starter, and I guess it didn't know I was pressing on the brake.

Oh, well.

The other problem that has me more than a bit perturbed is that the driver's side seat is showing signs of wear. Now, these seats are supposed to be leather. The portion that is showing the wear is definitely not leather; it's vinyl. I showed it to the guy at the dealership and made it quite clear that this is not acceptable. I would expect it at 100,000 miles, not 10,000. Since we keep our cars to about 160,000, I need a seat that will hold up. And no, I should not have to put covers on it!

Wow, so much for my theme.