Read the Maintenance Log that came with your vehicle. Hyundai's standard
oil change interval is 7500 miles. As long as you adhere to that, your
warranty is good. You DON'T have to take the vehicle to the dealer for
service, either. Simply document your oil changes and you'll be fine.
This is true for all other required maintenance, as well.

You can still do your own oil changes without threatening your warranty.  If
you look at the Hyundai owner's manual you will see that nothing in it
precludes owner maintenance.  There are some areas where you either must, or
you will want to use Hyundai parts but Hyundai does not insist you use any
authorized dealer for the work.

Use dino oil and continue to change it at the intervals you're familiar
with, or use synthetic and you can change it at the longer intervals.

In every car I have ever owned, I have always ended up ignoring the
recommended maintenance frequency when it comes to oil changes.

I don't do this flippantly.  I have an '02 Elantra, and after having owned
it for six months, and about two oil changes, the oil itself now tells me to
change it every 6000 miles (I always use synthetic).  I also have an
Oldsmobile that has become my first (ever) vehicle to seem perfectly fine
with the 7500 mile interval.

But then I have an '04 Kia Sedona, and I don't dare go a mile more than 4000
with it, no matter what oil I use.  In years past, I had a Pontiac car built
by Daewoo of Korea that pretty much maxed out its oil at 2500 miles, even
using synthetic.

Mazda, or whomever, may make all the recommendations they want.  But similar
recommendations by Toyota have resulted in a bad sludging problem in a lot
of Camry engines - problems that could have been avoided if the owners would
have paid closer attention to their oil, and changed it when it really
needed it, rather than when a maintenace book told them to.

This doesn't necessarily work with other services (I SERIOUSLY advise people
to change timing belts at or by the recommended maintenance interval, for
example).  But for oil, it has never failed me.  And for a person who puts
200,000 miles and more on his cars, I have needed my oil to do what it does
best in my car engines.

So, whichever vehicle one buys (my wife SO dearly loves the Santa Fe), just
watch your oil, and keep it changed as (really) needed, and document all
your oil changes.

Cars may be getting complicated, but not when it comes to changing oil
(though it sounds like all the extra steps required in the Tucson is trying
to change that.  That alone would be enough for a person who changes all his
own oil - like me - to look elsewhere).  Change it yourself, get better oil
and better filters for less money, and you will really get into watching
your own oil and intervals.

Hope this helps.

Tom Wenndt

You're *never* required to have your car serviced at the dealer.  Of
course, if you'd like free warranty service, no other place will be
willing to give you that.

Like Brian said, anyone can change your oil.  Furthermore, you're only
*required* to do it every 7500 miles, unless you fall into their severe
usage category.  I think this interval is too long, though.  My opinion is
you'd be better off if you did it every 3k.  But again, you can do that
yourself, or any facility of your choosing can do it for you.

If your dealer has told you that you must use their services to keep your
warranty intact, they are lying-- look for another dealer close by.