Hyundai Class Action: Elantra, Accent Contain Power Steering Defect

Hyundai Motor America has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging certain Hyundai Accent and Elantra vehicles were sold with a faulty steering mechanism that causes the power steering system to stop working suddenly.

Plaintiffs Houston Vinci and Jaehan Ku allege the Hyundai steering mechanism defect affects model year 2013 through 2016 Accent and Elantra vehicles.

According the Hyundai class action lawsuit, the steering mechanism defect causes the power steering in the affected vehicles to suddenly stop working, making it difficult or impossible to turn the steering wheel. Without the ability to turn the steering wheel as intended, drivers are less easily able to react to obstacles on the road.

Vinci says she purchased a used 2013 Hyundai Accent in 2015 after reviewing Hyundai’s promotional materials. She claims she has experienced repeated problems with the steering system but when she took the Accent into a Hyundai dealer for repair, the dealership was unable to correct the issue. Vinci says she would not have purchased the vehicle if she had known about the Hyundai power steering defect.

Ku reportedly purchased a new 2014 Hyundai Elantra in 2014 which experienced the alleged steering mechanism defect.

Both plaintiffs assert they were involved in accidents when their steering wheels locked up while they were driving their Hyundai vehicles.

Vinci and Ku claim Hyundai has been aware of the Accent and Elantra steering mechanism defect, but has failed to notify consumers about the issue. According to the Hyundai class action lawsuit, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata suffered from a similar defect. Hyundai reportedly issued a recall of the 2011 Sonata vehicles in 2016.

The plaintiffs point to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration database, which shows that there were more than 100 complaints about the power steering system for the Hyundai Elantra and 10 complaints about the Accent.

Several of the reports cited in the Hyundai class action lawsuit involve drivers who claim their steering wheels locked while driving, often requiring them to overcorrect the steering wheel to continue traveling in their lane. Other drivers claim their Hyundai vehicles would frequently “drift” into other lanes, requiring constant correction while driving. One driver claims the steering wheel locked up after going over a bump, causing the vehicle to crash through a wall on the side of the road because the driver was unable to turn the steering wheel away from it.

The Hyundai class action lawsuit alleges violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, California’s Unfair Competition Law, California’s False Advertising Law, violation of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment, and violations of Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Acts of various states.

Vinci and Ku are represented by Barbara A. Rohr and Innessa Melamed of Faruqi & Faruqi LLP, Bonner Walsh of Walsh LLC, Adam Gonnelli of The Sultzer Law Group PC, and Laura R. Reznick of Leeds Brown Law PC.

The Hyundai Power Steering Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Houston Vinci and Jaehan Ku v. Hyundai Motor America, Case No. 2:17-cv-04286, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

UPDATE April 12, 2018: Certification of the Hyundai Power Steering Defect Class Action Lawsuit has been denied.  The judge stated that the plaintiffs failed to make certain claims under any state law, but allowed the opportunity to amend parts of the complaint not based in state law.