Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
This settlement is closed!
Please see what other class action settlements you might qualify to claim cash from in our Open Settlements directory!
UPDATE 2:
- Top Class Actions viewers reported this settlement paying out $500 as of Oct 16, 2021.
- Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got paid!
UPDATE:
- The Hyundai piston class action settlement was granted final approval April 20, 2021.
- Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
Consumers who owned or leased certain models of Hyundai may be eligible for a reimbursement or warranty extension thanks to a class action settlement.
Anyone who owned or leased a Class Vehicle that was purchased or leased in the United States — including the District of Columbia, but excluding other U.S. territories — or those who purchased or leased a Class Vehicle while abroad on active military duty may be eligible to benefit from the Honda piston engine settlement.
Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit had alleged certain models of the defendants’ vehicles had a defect that could cause engine seizure and stalling.
The defendants deny these allegations and have not been found guilty in court, but have agreed to a settlement.
The following vehicles equipped with a 1.8L Nu engine are considered Class Vehicles:
- Hyundai Elantra (model years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016)
- Hyundai Elantra GT (model year 2013)
- Hyundai Elantra Coupe (model year 2013)
The Hyundai piston engine settlement provides relief in the form of warranty extensions, reimbursement for past repairs, and reimbursement for expenses such as towing and car rentals.
Warranty Extensions
To qualify for an automatic warranty extension, a Class Member’s Class Vehicle must be registered in a “cold weather state” for at least six months.
“Cold Weather States,” a defined by the settlement agreement, are: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
According to the settlement website, Class Members who live in a state not considered a cold weather state as defined by the settlement must submit a claim form in order to receive a warranty extension. They also must meet one of the following conditions:
- After the notice date, you register your Class Vehicle in a Cold Weather State for at least six months
- The Class Vehicle was previously registered in a Cold Weather State
- You demonstrate substantial prior cold-weather usage of the vehicle for at least 90 consecutive days from November to March during which the Class Vehicle was in a place where it was exposed to at least 50 cumulative days of temperatures at or below 32 degrees in that location during that period
- You demonstrate, with a heightened proof submission (such as actual parts, photo, or other evidence) that the engine problem is directly related to the “piston-scuffing-type defect” alleged in the class action lawsuit.
Class Members whose vehicles were already beyond the time and mileage limits for extended warranties as of the notice date will have their powertrain warranty time and mileage limits extended for the 90 days following the Court’s final approval of the settlement in Cold Weather or Warm Weather states, (subject to the conditions previously mentioned). The mileage limit will be extended to 140,000 miles for original retail purchasers and lessees, as well as purchasers of Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. The limit will be extended to 100,000 for all other owners.
The warranty extension may be denied for “Exceptional Neglect,” meaning failure to change the Class Vehicle’s engine oil for at least 365 consecutive days or 15,000 miles.
Reimbursement
In order to file a claim for reimbursement, Class Members with vehicles registered in Cold Weather States must submit a claim form that includes a proof of repair expense or repair-related expense. Hyundai must not substantiate Exceptional Neglect with respect to the repair.
Class Members whose vehicle is not registered in a Cold Weather State as of the notice date may also submit a claim form including proof or repair. These Class Members’ claim forms also must document that the vehicle was previously registered in a Cold Weather State, was previously subjected to previous cold-weather usage for at least 90 consecutive days between November and March in a location in which it was exposed to at least 50 cumulative days of below-freezing temperatures.
The claim must also demonstrate through heightened proof submission that the repair was directly related to the alleged “piston-scuffing-type defect.”
More information on the claim submission process and required proof is available on the settlement website’s FAQ page or the settlement notice.
The deadline to object to or opt out of the settlement is April 2, 2021.
The deadline to file a claim is 70 days after the Court grants final approval. The final approval hearing currently is scheduled for April 19, 2021, which would make the claim deadline June 28, 2021.
To Class Actions is following this settlement and will update you if the claim deadline changes.
Who’s Eligible
Anyone who owned or leased a Class Vehicle that was purchased or leased in the United States — including the District of Columbia, but excluding other U.S. territories — or those who purchased or leased a Class Vehicle while abroad on active military duty may be eligible to benefit from the Honda piston engine settlement.
The following vehicles equipped with a 1.8L Nu engine are considered Class Vehicles:
- Hyundai Elantra (model years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016)
- Hyundai Elantra GT (model year 2013)
- Hyundai Elantra Coupe (model year 2013)
Potential Award
Varies.
- Warranty extensions
- Reimbursement for past repairs
- Reimbursement for expenses, such as towing and car rentals
Proof of Purchase
Emails, customer service chat logs, repair records, insurance claims, Return Merchandise Authorization confirmations, or other credible evidence of microphone or speaker failure.
Claim Form
NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.
Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Claim Form Deadline
06/28/2021
Case Name
Elizabeth Brown, et al. v. Hyundai Motor America, et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-11249, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Newark Division
Final Hearing
04/19/2021
Settlement Website
Claims Administrator
888-462-8721
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific, Monday through Friday
support@hmapistonsettlement.com
Class Counsel
Matthew D. Schelkopf
SAUDER SCHELKOPF LLC
Nicholas A. Migliaccio
MIGLIACCIO & RATHOD LLP
Daniel C. Levin
LEVIN SEDRAN & BERMAN
Defense Counsel
Peter C. Harvey
Michelle M. Bufano
PATTERSON BELKNAP WEBB & TYLER LLP
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
39 thoughts onHyundai Piston Engine Settlement Provides Extended Warranties, Reimbursement for Consumers
My car is terrible I got a Elantra 2012 and my car turns off randomly while driving (because that’s so safe while driving with my kids in the car ) I haven’t even had it a year it’s like my car don’t even wanna drive on the high way it feels terrible.. I took my car to the dealer and they said it’s something else like ok now what because y’all said it wasn’t my engine … I definitely did my claim
OMG i totally agree. I already replaced my motor and now starting to face same issues again Warrenty would not fix it because they could not find the cause. I had to pay out of pocket and just because i do not live in one of the states … wish they would just drive my car for 2 days and they would see and hear the issues
I have had 95% of the issues when I take my car to Hyundai they tell me its Piston or heads or just misfiring etc. I have already replaced my motor once coil packs twice in less than a year. Head lights bulbs monthly. The car stalls constantly and thats after it doesnt want to start makes a choking sound until i press gas or turn it back off and retry to start again. The motor make knocking noise all the time Hyundai thinks its piston or head due to my car probably running hot. Ummm no my car has not ran hot i am on top of my car to make sure its taken care of. Just because i do not live in the Cold states has no bearing because my car to which I love is constantly having issues and now come to find out is comon issues. The dealership made me feel like it was all in my head that these things did not happen. How would I get help with my issues when Hyundai dealers obviously do not communicate or they would told me about the issues the motors where having. I should be reimbursed for my money as well as my car should be fixed again. Apparently the motor is not a good motor since this is number 2 for me. Also when it was replaced it was under warranty and since they couldnt find the reason for the motor to quit i had to pay fully to replace it… Who would i contact for help?
Im confused as to what to do at this point. My car is stalling and doesn’t want to start when it’s cold in the morning. I haven’t spent any money because they can’t find anything wrong with it because they just hook it up to a machine and zero codes come up. I think they need to just give us what we paid for the cars and call it a day. The warranty is useless if they aren’t fixing the problem.
I totally agree!! It’s crazy because when I’m on the highway and I’m accelerating, the speedometer is moving but the car doesn’t move with it. The speed has to kick in (so to speak)… ridiculous! Smgdh
OMG i totally agree. I already replaced my motor and now starting to face same issues again Warrenty would not fix it because they could not find the cause. I had to pay out of pocket and just because i do not live in one of the states … wish they would just drive my car for 2 days and they would see and hear the issues
Try taking it out of park and putting it back in park. There’s another problem with these cars where the switch in the gear shifter is going bad. I paid 300 for a starter before figuring this out and it still isn’t fixed because it wouldn’t do it for the mechanic.
I purchased my car used. There was an owner before me. My 2016 had 32,000 miles in 2018 when I bought it. It has 63,000 miles now. Over past year my car has stalled, hesitated to start, braking was rough and with new brakes and tires on it, I took it to get looked at no one says anything is wrong. In winter or rain brakes shriek when trying to back out sometimes.
What I received in the settlement:
Warranty for up to 8 years or 80,000 miles and the woman asked me, “aren’t you happy”? Please make that make sense to me? I want my money back, this car is paid off, I don’t want these problems bc it’s a rip off and they new these cars had these problems! I really need to call the back bc the math doesn’t add up for me (80,000) or 8 years… a car with no engine power, might as well be a cute overpriced paper weight sitting in my driveway.
They even have a warranty on the paint for these vehicles!!!! Paint peeled off and chipped away while I was driving down the street. I thought someone had thrown bread at my car. THE PAINT WAS FLYING OFF the hood and now the top of my car!!! Just trash!! I hate it! I had no intention of purchasing another vehicle any time soon but that doesn’t seem realistic given what make and model vehicle I purchased… foolishness to say the least just foolishness! GREED
I brought my Hyundai elantra 2014 brand new paid cash, when I pick it out , it had zero miles, when I came back to pick it up, it had 19 miles, i ask the dealer did someone drove this car, he said just to move it, i went to sign the title and the lady had six hundred miles on the title, i went back and ask the dealer how many mile u see on the dashboard, he said 19 miles, i ask why did she put six hundren, i took picture, the insurance company seen it, i been having problem with my car from day one, they lies about everything, i got crew over,and they dont want fix shit, i been taking my car back for my oil leak, brakes, something moving up under my foot, they said wasn’t nothing wrong with the car. They wont tell u if it’s a recall on anything.
I had to get rid of my Hyundai last year because the engine was knocking and car wouldn’t start at times .
Also the only way this settlement helps someone is if they have payed for the repairs to be done so if you car sits broken down because of this theres nothing in here to help you. I say sue Hyundai for a mass recall on these cars
I do not want this settlement I want the car recalled. These cars have so many problems there a piece of junk and I will not settle for this
I have been experiencing engine stalling since 2019. My mechanic said it was due to bearing and piston issues. Faulkner Hyundai in Harrisburg Pennsylvania said it’s related to throttle, spark plugs, and coils. They are keeping it until Monday to try to find the cause after I informed him my mechanic will change the spark plugs, coils and throttle if necessary. I almost got hit twice because of loss of engine power and this needs to be replaced immediately.
Has anyone been reimbursed from.the lawsuit? I have been waiting since December and still nothing!