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Update:
- A California federal judge approved a class action settlement to resolve claims that a defect inside certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles can expose owners to the risk of sudden failure and vehicle fires.
- On Feb. 8, U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton granted a motion for preliminary approval to the deal, which includes reimbursements for repairs and extended warranties for about 2.1 million vehicles.
- The settlement specifically calls for an extended warranty for free inspections and necessary repairs for 15 years or 150,000 miles, recalls and product improvements for certain models, reimbursement for qualifying repairs at authorized shops, goodwill payments for inconvenience due to repair delays and reimbursement for expenses related to transportation, lodging and meals for class members stranded by a qualifying failure or fire.
- The Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit settlement applies to owners of Hyundai cars 2013-2019 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport and the 2011-2019 Hyundai Sonata. Affected Kia models are the 2012-2019 Kia Sorento, the 2011-2019 Kia Optima, the 2012-2019 Kia Soul and the 2011-2019 Kia Sportage.
(Dec. 18, 2018)
A new class action lawsuit argues a defect in certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles can expose owners to the risk of sudden failure and vehicle fires.
The Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit alleges more than 350 complaints were already filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over this engine failure, but the manufacturers have failed to correct the problem.
The plaintiffs in the class action against Hyundai and Kia argue owners are put at risk of being seriously hurt in an accident if the vehicle suddenly catches fire. Further, the plaintiffs say the makers of the car either knew or should have known about the alleged defect, but failed to disclose it to the public.
The alleged defect named in the Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit has to do with the gasoline direct injection engines in certain Kia and Hyundai models. The alleged defect causes problems with the flow of oil to the moving parts in the engine, presenting a fire risk.
The parts can break apart and puncture a hole in the vehicle engine, according tot he class action lawsuit, which can ignite a major fire. The oil is supposed to flow to bearings and connecting rods without an issue, but engine seizure represents an immediate risk of vehicle breakdown and a blaze.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs in this Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit say, “Hyundai and Kia are putting their own consumers in grave danger of spontaneous fires, loss of property, and personal injury, and alarmingly they have also chosen to actively conceal the defect.”
Models impacted in this Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit include Hyundai cars 2013-2019 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport and the 2011-2019 Hyundai Sonata. Affected Kia models are the 2012-2019 Kia Sorento, the 2011-2019 Kia Optima, the 2012-2019 Kia Soul, and the 2011-2019 Kia Sportage.
If these vehicles catch fire, total loss of the car, property damage, or even personal injury for those involved in a crash can result, say the plaintiffs.
The Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit seeks to recover losses vehicle owners have already experienced due to this problem, such as car rental, expensive repairs, towing charges, car payments and time off work.
Further, the plaintiffs in the Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit allege that they did not get the benefit the bargained for by purchasing these vehicles since the maker of the cars never warned them about the risks and dangers.
Congress has asked that representatives from these companies answer questions about the issue, but as of yet, car manufacturer representatives have failed to do so.
The plaintiffs who filed the Hyundai and Kia class action lawsuit also seek injunctive relief options that could lead to an order to the automakers to recall, repair, or replace the impacted vehicles so that drivers do not face the risks of complete engine failure and a resulting fire.
The plaintiffs in the Hyundai class action lawsuit are represented by Christopher R. Pitoun and Steve W. Berman of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP.
The Hyundai Class Action Lawsuit is Leslie Flaherty et al., v. Hyundai Motor Company et al., Case No. 8:18-cv-02223, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
UPDATE: On Oct. 11, 2019, Hyundai and Kia reached a $758 million settlement with car owners who claim that their vehicles suffer from premature engine failure which may cause the cars to burst into flames.
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Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
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368 thoughts onHyundai, Kia settlement involving 2.1M vehicles with defective engines gets initial approval
My 2019 Kia Sorento engine died over excessive oil consumption and Kia is telling me they want 11K for a new one. Out of warranty miles are 130 k no one will help me what can I do please contact me
My 2015 Santa fe stopped on the road August 6th, I had it towed to the mechanic only to be told that the engine failed.
I have a 2012 sonata hybrid on March 19 2023 engine sfailure on freeway at night and raining .. the only warning I had was when alram went off telling me to shut down car . Pulled Over on side of freeway engine shutdown .. never started again had to be towes to the nearest shop and then .towed to Hyundai they told me engine had sized going to cost 9,000 dollars to replace .. however couldn’t get money up in time so Hyundai had it towed away and is now in impound.. not sure if I fit this class action but it’s worth a shot .. today I am still carless.
My daughter’s 2015 Kia Soul with 129000 miles, started knocking, lost power and stalled on a busy interstate. I had the car towed to the Kia dealership in our hometown. Kia diagnosed it as low compression on cylinder 3, and said it needed a new engine. Kia Customer Care told me this wasn’t covered in the class action.
How do you become a part of this class action lawsuit
I had to send my 2017 Kia soul back to the bank I was told my Cadillac converter needed changed and a new engine put in and this was in 2022 then when I found out about the law suit I tried to take it back to the dealership where I bought it from they said they were not fixing it so I had to send it back and bought a Hyundai sonata not knowing Kia made there engines and I needed a new engine almost before my 3 months 3000 mile warranty was up if it wasn’t for my engine oil light coming on I would of been stuck with the same issue
How do I know if my vehicle fits the bill…I have a Hyundai Santa Cruz that I owned for the past two years?
My 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3 V6 Limited just stopped on the road near Eglin Air Force Base. We had correctly maintained it for 123000 miles.
The dealership said it was worth only parts. We had purchased a third-party warranty through the Hyundai dealer and they failed to take care of us. We feel we should be covered under the class action suit. However, Hyundai denied it saying this model was not covered. What can we do?
My 2015 Santa fe stopped on the road 3 days ago, I had it towed to the mechanic only to be told that the engine failed. I now don’t have a car to pick and drop off my son to school. Really disappointed 😞
2017 Hyundai Sonata is using an excessive amount of oil. Has went into limp mode on the highway almost causing me to be rear-ended. Had to have vehicle towed to dealership to get it out of limp mode.Had to replace spark plugs in #2 and #3 cylinders a few times in the last 6 to 8 months. Had to replace ignition coil for # 3 cylinder twice in 6 months or so.
I really need to find out how to join this class action lawsuit. I have my emails with Kia, receipts and documentation of me paying out of pocket to replace my engine on my 2014 Kia Sorento. They denied my reimbursement, even though they extended the warranty to lifetime.
I have a 2016 Hyundai Sonata, purchased in September 2022. Drove the car one week, and was experiencing very rough driving, checked the engine, very little oil. Got oil changed, and within three weeks, low oil yet again. I was getting my oil changed every three weeks, and if I didn’t have time, was having to add a quart of two in between changes. I’ve never had to do that with any car. The spark plugs kept eroding, two tune ups since purchase. I kept having issues, rpm not going up, shaking, rough driving, they changed my PC valve, the next day driving, I hear loud clatter under the hood, and my engine locks up!!!! Now I’m out over 700 in the last week for my two different tows, and the unnecessary tuneup, valve replacement, and oil change! With no car to drive to top it off! Thanks Hyundai, you sure make the life of a caregiver so much better. Now stressed how to get to work. What can I do? What can we do now?