BREAKING: Hyundai Electric Vehicles Pose Fire Risk, Low Range, Alleges Class Action Lawsuit

Hyundai Electric Vehicles Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: A 2019 Kona owner lodged a class action lawsuit against Hyundai Motor Company and its affiliates.  
• Why: The plaintiff says that the automaker misrepresented the range of late-model Hyundai electric vehicles, implementing a draconian recall after a series of battery pack fires.
• Where: The lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A 2019 Kona owner claims that the automaker falsely advertised both the safety and range of late model Hyundai electric vehicles in a class action lawsuit filed in California federal court Monday.  

Lead plaintiff, Sebastien Friche, wants to represent 2019-2021 Kona EV and 2020 Ionic EV owners and lessees. He claims that, after discovering a battery defect, the automaker reduced the ranges of these late-model Hyundai electric vehicles, but failed to notify consumers. Further, the plaintiff accuses Hyundai of implementing a recall that left him and other owners without vehicles or paying the expense of a gasoline replacement for an indeterminate amount of time.  

Friche, who owns a 2019 Kona, claims the vehicle was impounded when his wife took it to a dealership to replace a tire in July. The shop cited a Hyundai battery fire recall and refused to give Friche an estimated date of repair or a rental vehicle. Eventually, the automaker helped the plaintiff find a rental; however, Friche says he is stuck paying for gas and his adult children cannot drive the replacement. 

Indeed, charging a battery takes longer than filling up a gas tank and Fiche says he and other owners of Hyundai electric vehicles took the advertised range of the car into account when making their purchases.  

Hyundai Electric Vehicle Fires, Recall

In addition to the draconian recall measures, the plaintiff says that the fix offered by the automaker to reduce the risk of a battery fire in Hyundai electric vehicles is unfair to consumers.  

Hyundai reduced the ranges of its electric vehicles in 2020 after a series of battery fires prompted a mass recall in South Korea, explains the class action lawsuit. The Hyundai electric vehicle recall was expanded a few months later to include 82,000 Konas worldwide.  

Indeed, concerns about the safety of the lithium-ion batteries in Hyundai electric and other vehicles, such as the Chevy Bolt, have been well-documented, points out the plaintiff.  

Friche says that in the wake of additional reports of fires, Hyundai reprogramed the battery packs in its electric vehicles, allowing them to charge to only 90 percent. However, the automaker’s fix has left owners with far less range than originally advertised.  

The plaintiff says that the reduced battery charge translates into a range of only 26 miles for Hyundai Kona owners, a mere 10 percent of the 258 miles advertised by the automaker.  

Friche alleges that he and other Hyundai electric vehicle owners and lessees would not have purchased or paid as much for their Ioniqs and Konas had they known their true range.  

The plaintiff wants to represent a nationwide Class of Hyundai electric vehicle owners and lessees, along with a California subclass. Friche wants Hyundai to pay him and other Class Members damages, along with a penalty for fraud. 

Do you own a Hyundai electric vehicle? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.  

The plaintiff is represented by David C. Wright, Richard D. McCune, Steven A. Haskins, Mark I. Richards of McCune Wright Arevalo, LLP.  

The Hyundai Electric Vehicles Class Action Lawsuit is Friche v. Hyundai Motor Co., et al., Case No. 8:21-cv-01324 I the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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