Rumors have started to grow around Hyundai, and the controversy keeps getting bigger… Many drivers began complaining about their vehicles and now there is already a class-action lawsuit underway against the brand. And the thing is, users are complaining with reason, some Hyundai engines present failures that could leave the car unusable while driving!
Maybe it seems to you that the problem is not that big for all the fuss that has been created, well stay seated because when I tell you that Hyundai already knew about the engine failures of these vehicles for more than a decade!! Aren’t brands supposed to look after the safety of their users? Well, Hyundai thought it could pretend to be clueless.
The lawsuit
A lawsuit in California was the spark that set the forest on fire, a couple accused Hyundai of selling cars equipped with the 3.3L Lambda II engine knowing that it could fail.
How is that? Hyundai knew that the engines were not in their optimal condition and that they could break before 80,000 miles (a ridiculously low figure for this type of mechanics), and they also claim that they knew this since 2013. Twelve years later and they have done nothing to fix it? Strange.
What is the defect?
Basically abnormal engine wear in parts that should withstand thousands and thousands of kilometers. By wearing out earlier, it causes sudden loss of power, metallic noises, and even sudden stops of the vehicle while driving (with everything that implies…).
So, to sum up, we are talking about an engine that ages as if it had triple the mileage and age… even if you have cared for it like a baby.
Will there be an official investigation?
When problems of this caliber come to light, NHTSA (the U.S. road safety agency) can start a formal investigation, especially when a class-action lawsuit has started alleging that this issue was already known and that they have been manufacturing vehicles with that same problem.
“From at least 2013 through 2019, defendants manufactured engines for the affected vehicles with a dangerous defect that causes abnormal wear and failure of the rotating assemblies and internal engine components (the ‘Engine Defect’ or the ‘Defect’),” according to lawsuit no. 8:25-cv-02323 filed by plaintiffs Jason Burns and Allison Burns.
If it is confirmed that there is real risk for drivers, the usual thing is to order a recall in which the manufacturer pays all repairs and fixes all errors. And Hyundai is not new to this, it has already had to deal with large recalls due to other failures, or does no one remember the “hacked” Hyundais?
Safety and responsibility
Beyond engineering, if confirmed, Hyundai has played with the trust of its buyers.
The automotive industry is obligated by law, although more by ethics, to ensure that its cars are safe for all users, so knowing that a vehicle has a defect and still putting it on the market for 12 years does not sound like a clean move on their part.
What should owners do?
If Hyundai or NHTSA announce a recall, you must go to the nearest official workshop and they will repair it. This will be free, of course, and the best thing is to do it as soon as the notification arrives.
If the court determines that Hyundai knew about the problem and did not act, the legal and economic consequences could be enormous and could put Hyundai on the edge. If not, it will remain only as an episode, but we will continue to watch Hyundai’s errors very closely.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, business or professional advice, and it is not intended to influence decisions of any kind.