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Just one day after reporting that Hyundai and Kia had admitted to overstating the estimated fuel economy on the window stickers of nearly 1.1 million 2011-2013 model-year vehicles, we’ve learned that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States. The case joins a Canadian class action lawsuit over the same issue.
The Korean automakers admitted on Friday to overstating the mileage on over a million Hyundai and Kia vehicles in North America since 2010, including about 900,000 in the U.S. The automakers agreed to reimburse current and former owners by giving them debit cards containing the additional money they spent on gasoline due to the lower-than-advertised gas mileage, plus 15%.
That’s not enough for some irate Hyundai and Kia customers, who filed a class action lawsuit in Ohio. The Hyundai/Kia class action lawsuit is seeking more than $5 million in damages and accuses the automakers of “knowingly or recklessly exaggerated estimated gas mileage and fuel economy rating information … in order to entice” the owners into buying the vehicles.
The Hyundai/Kia mileage class action lawsuit was filed by Canadian citizens Rebecca Sanders and Jeffrey Millar, who live in Cincinnati and bought a 2013 Hyundai Elantra; and Molly Simons, a resident of Ohio who bought a 2012 Kia Rio.
Hyundai spokesman Chris Hosford would not comment on the class action lawsuit but defended the Hyundai/Kia mileage reimbursement program, which could provide as much as $100 million in refunds to affected consumers.
“We think our reimbursement program provides the best, quickest, and most customer-focused remedy. We are fully compensating affected Hyundai owners for the additional lifetime fuel costs associated with our rating adjustment — plus a 15 percent premium. Owners have responded very favorably to the plan. Our priority is to make this right for our owners, and that’s precisely what this program does,” Hosford said.
The Hyundai/Kia mileage issue was uncovered during an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency that found widespread discrepancies between the window stickers on Hyundai and Kia vehicles and EPA testing. Most vehicles were receiving an average fuel economy of 1 mpg less than advertised, while others, such as the Kia Soul, were getting 6 mpg less than advertised.
Consumer Watchdog, a consumer group that asked the EPA to audit mileage of the Hyundai Elantra in January after receiving a barrage of consumer complaints, said it was happy with the results of the EPA investigation.
“The EPA rightly audited Hyundai and the public deserves to know the whole truth about why these test results were inaccurate and whether or not they were intentionally falsified,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog.
The agency spearheaded a false advertising class action lawsuit against Hyundai this summer challenging the company’s “40 Miles Per Gallon” Elantra. According to the class action lawsuit, filed in California, the Elantra only gets 29 mpg on the highway – far below its advertised mileage.
“[The] illegal advertisements caused tens of thousands of California drivers to purchase or lease 2011 and 2012 Elantras and consequently incur unexpected fuel costs,” the Hyundai Elantra class action lawsuit states.
Hyundai and Kia customers with questions about the mileage reimbursement program can find answers at www.hyundaimpginfo.com and www.kiampginfo.com.
The U.S. Hyundai/Kia Mileage Class Action Lawsuit case is Sanders, et al. v. Hyundai Motor Company, et al, Case No. 12-cv-853, Ohio Southern District Court, Cincinnati.
UPDATE 1: Hyundai and Kia reached a $400 million class action lawsuit settlement in February 2013, which was announced in December 2013.
UPDATE 2: A group of breakaway Class Members filed an objection to the proposed Hyundai Kia class action lawsuit settlement, calling it “unreasonable” and “unfair” to consumers.
UPDATE 3: A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit alleging Hyundai Motor America and Hyundai Motor Company misrepresented the fuel economy of certain Hyundai vehicles. Consumers who purchased or leased certain Hyundai vehicles could be eligible for a cash payment or other benefits. Learn more at the Hyundai Fuel Economy Settlement.
UPDATE 4: As of Apr. 11, 2016, six different appeals have been filed concerning the Hyundai Fuel Economy Settlement. Until the Court resolves those appeals, the Claims Administrator is unable to mail out settlement funds.
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104 thoughts onFirst Hyundai/Kia Mileage Class Action Lawsuit Filed
Our Sonata does’t give the gas milage we were promised either. Very disappointed in that. It was the selling point
We purchased a 2013 Kia Sorento in April and have gotten far under what KIA sticker said. Just finished trip back and forth to Arizona, average about 24-25 mpg, whereas sticker said 32 hwy. I was driving probably faster than best mileage speed as many of the interstate on that route is 75 mpg, but never expected to be that far below. I believe we were deceived by KIA to persuade us to buy their product. I’ve already gotten a debit card for $74 but have not cashed it yet and am thinking I may prefer to join the class action suit, but not sure if I still can. I’m only gettting an adjustment of 1 mpg, whereas I feel it should be 3 or 4 times that. I’m not cashing the debit card yet, I think I could return it to them registered mail and join the class action suit. Any legal advice out there?
I don’t think you need to do anything to join the CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. Just stay put until you hear from the CLASS LAWSUIT. In the meantime, you should not accept KIA’s compensation offer via their web site KIAMPGINFO.COM. If you do, you may not qualify to join the CLASS ACTION at a later date.
We purchased 2012 Kia Sorrento 4-cyl GDI (settled for 4 cyl. instead of 6 cyl.) thinking that we are going to get 32 highway as mentioned on the sticker, but to this day we have not seen more than 22 mpg. highway. Since the mpg is not so great, we are only using our Sorrento for longer trips occasionally and decided to use our Prius instead for local driving. We are also concerned about the resale value of our Sorrento.
We received notice from Kia recently that we are included in their voluntary refund. However, we used their estimate tool on their site, kiampginfo.com, and it calculated that we are getting back $45 to compensate. This is ridiculously less than acceptable. If we accept their offer, are we opting out of the option to be a part of the class action? We feel that we are due a large refund of the purchase price, or to be able to back out of our purchase.
Go here for the official CLASS LAWSUIT site:
http://www.classlawsuit.com/kia-mpg-class-action-update/#comment-873
I have a 2012 Hyundai Sonata that I drive 162 miles per day to and from work. 99.9% of my driving is highway, I figured the Sonata would be great for comfort as well as fuel mileage…. Boy was I WRONG! I’m lucky to get 23MPG! I have 45,000 miles on my Sonata right now, I wonder what my rebate would be? Has anyone heard anything about Hyundai offering some sort of trade in allowance? Also, if anyone is working with an attorney on getting in on this lawsuit please post their info so that I may contact them to get in as well!
I’m in the same boat. I bought my Kia Soul 2012 Model in April. I’ve got about 5k on the odometer and I am averaging 21 MPG…on long trips MAYBE 25/26. I’d be happy with $1800 or so, but I wouldn’t have bought it, had I known the true MPG! I do think that the trade in value is going to suffer.
Purchased a 2012 kia rio because of the mileage they claimed. I drive about 160 miles a day on it and have racked up 36000 miles in less than a year. Estimator says I’ll get about 300.00. thats approximately .0084 cents a mile i’m getting reimbursed about .30 cents a gallon for using 900 gallons. it looks like their estimating their reimbursement off of the car getting 40 miles to the gallion and it’s not. not sure about my math but I’m not seeing the extra 15% anywhere.
My hubby and I were just talking about how disappointed we have been with the mpg our car gets. Puchased 2012 KIA Sorento back in Aug of 2011. Estimator states I’ll be given approx $122 for a lifetime of lies! Wow…. thanks guys! How about all of the years I’ll have the vehicle. The payment ends up being .0084 cents per mile. Disappointed to state the least…
Bought a 2013 Santa Fe in October with millage being a big factor in making my decission. Have made two trips almost all interstate at 70 MPH and averaged 26 MPG. The EPA totals were 31 MPG so I lose 5 MPG on each gallon I purchase. Thast 45 miles per tank full at $3.20 a gallon or $5.54 per tank. That means there is no premium but a straight payment on just more misrepresentastion. The new electronic steering problem will be the next big problem they are facing. If I could get my money back, I would!!!!!!
I know someone that has a 2012 with about 22000 miles on it and got a card for about 350.00. What bugs me is I just got a new Soul about three weeks ago and I have not gotten an apology or a notice in the mail. There is no way they could have made a mistake on the MPG claims esp on the Kia Soul. I traded in a nice VW and now I am stuck otherwise I would return the car. I am definitely getting in with the class action which I am sure will be available soon to all.