Logotype of Hyundai corporation.
(Photo Credit: Arsenie Krasnevsky/Shutterstock)

Update: 

  • A judge dismissed a class action lawsuit filed by a group of vehicle owners against Hyundai Motor Co. in a California federal court. 
  • The class action lawsuit claimed a number of Hyundai and Kia model vehicles contained an engine defect that caused them to use an excessive amount of oil.
  • The vehicle owners argued the alleged defect, in addition to costing them money for the excess oil, caused the vehicles to stall and eventually fail. 
  • Court approval of the dismissal was not required as the class had not been certified nor proposed to be certified for purposes of a settlement, according to court documents. 

Hyundai excessive oil consumption class action lawsuit overview:

  • Who: A group of Hyundai and Kia vehicle owners are suing Hyundai Motor Co.
  • Why: The drivers allege numerous models of Hyundai and Kia vehicles are equipped with defective engines that use excessive amounts of oil, stall and eventually fail.
  • Where: The lawsuit was filed in a California federal court.

(April 20, 2022)

Hyundai makes numerous models of Hyundai and Kia brand vehicles with defective engines that use excessive amounts of oil, costing their owners huge sums of money, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

On Apr. 12, eight owners of Hyundai and Kia brand vehicles filed a class action lawsuit against Hyundai Motor Co. in a California federal court, alleging violations of federal warranty laws.

The Hyundai excessive oil consumption lawsuit alleges that numerous models of the automaker’s vehicles are equipped with defective Nu, Gamma, Theta, Lambda and Kappa engines.

The defective engines allegedly use excessive amounts of oil, stall and eventually fail. The drivers say Hyundai should have issued a recall for the vehicles a long time ago but hasn’t.

As a result, thousands of Hyundai and Kia owners and lessees have allegedly been forced to constantly check the oil levels, and oil must be added to the engines more frequently than even the owner’s manuals recommend, Car Complaints reports.

The engine issue has flow-on effects like reduction in engine lubrication due to crankshaft submersion and gaskets and seals damage, which leads to oil leaks.

The plaintiffs also claim that oil in their vehicles migrates to places where it shouldn’t be, damaging the combustion and exhaust systems.

This allegedly causes “abnormal wear of engine parts, oversaturation of carbon and deposits of oil sludge, ultimately requiring a costly engine rebuild or replacement.”

Automaker should honor warranty claims outside terms, Hyundai class action says

The plaintiffs allege that Hyundai should honor customers’ warranty claims even when the warranties have expired. 

According to the lawsuit, Hyundai can’t adequately repair the oil consumption problems and doesn’t offer any reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs caused by the issue.

The class action states customers must suffer through long wait times for replacement parts, “and in most cases do not receive required engine replacements.”

The cars with the allegedly faulty engines include the 2012-2020 Hyundai Elantra, 2009-2018 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, 2019-2021 Hyundai Kona, 2020-2021 Hyundai Palisade, 2010-2012 and 2015-2021 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2009-2010 and 2015-2021 Hyundai Sonata, 2011–2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, 2010-2013 and 2015-2021 Hyundai Tucson, 2011-2021 Hyundai Veloster, 2020-2021 Hyundai Venue, 2010-2021 Kia Forte, 2017-2020 Kia Niro, 2011-2020 Kia Optima and Optima Hybrid, 2012-2021 Kia Rio, 2011-2020 Kia Sorento, 2012-2021 Kia Soul, 2011-2020 Kia Sportage, 2018-2021 Kia Stinger and 2022 Kia K5.

Meanwhile, Hyundai has expanded its recall of vehicles with an exploding seat belt part issue that has caused multiple injuries to include 6,240 of its 2021-2022 Elantra and 2020 Accent vehicles. 

The plaintiffs are represented by Nye, Stirling, Hale & Miller LLP, Sauder Schelkopf LLC and Walsh, PLLC.

The Hyundai Oil Consumption Lawsuit is Cho, et al., v. Hyundai Motor Company, LTD., et al. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Are you one of the drivers affected by an allegedly faulty Hyundai engine? Let us know in the comments! 


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3,221 thoughts onHyundai class action over excessive oil consumption dismissed

  1. Sonny says:

    Not sure how to sign up with this lawsuit if anyone has idea let me know. The more people that sign up the better

    1. Crystal Brown says:

      If anyone knows how you sign up let me know. I just left Kia today after an oil consumption test (burning 1 quart every 200 miles) and they want me to buy a new engine for $8200 with just 127,000 miles on my car. I have saved every single receipt for oil changes for the last 5 years and done everything I know to maintain my car. This should not be happening and I am so disappointed and not in a spot to buy a new car or engine!

  2. Sonny says:

    My wife has a 2017 Sante fei and it goes through anywhere from 3-5 liters between oil changes so about 6000 kms we live in Canada. We did the whole oil consumption testing and hyundai Canada has pretty much told us to go pound sand. Needless to say we will never buy another hyundai

  3. Kathryn Williams says:

    2016 Hyundai Sonata goes through a quart of oil weekly.

  4. John Jackson says:

    2016 kia optima goes through a quart of oil every two weeks this is a replacement engine not even 10000 miles on it, kia say go kick rocks no warranty on engine just rods and bearings

  5. Carla L Robinson says:

    I have a 2014 Kia Soul and I had the same problem mentioned by others. Started limping took it start to my mechanic. He was like there is no oil in your car. I am like what as he knows I maintain my car. Oil light never came on either. Now I have to check it every week and it is always low. I am just waiting for the engine to seize or catch fire (happened to my clients nephew). Forced to look at buying a new car when I was trying not to have to have payments again. Called my dealership what a joke was told “they know about the problem but aren’t really addressing it. You have to bring it in for oil test 1 and if it passes that then it comes in for oil test 2, and no one has passed that. If your vehicle does pass test 2 then it gets sent to GA and they keep it for up to a month to test it, but as mentioned no one has had that happen”

  6. Nickolena Fortuna says:

    2012 Kia Sorento would burn at least a quart a week, depending on how much it was driven. Started around 50,000 miles. It was a nuisance checking the oil everyday.

  7. Sean Snyder says:

    2017 Elantra with only 48, 000 miles on it. Burn about a quart of oil every month. I work at home and don’t drive that much. It’s pitiful.

  8. Nathan Bordner says:

    I have a 2013 kia sorento that goes through roughly a qt of oil every 800-1000 miles. I’m getting tired of it

  9. Ingrid Comet says:

    2015 SANTA FE SPORT. MY CAR LOST OVER 3QTS OF OIL. WE FILLED IT AND AFTER DRIVING IT ON THE WEEKEND IT WENT INTO LIMP MODE ON THE HIGHWAY. WE TOWED IT TO THE DEALER SHIP AND IT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR ALMOST A MONTH. THEY WILL BE PERFORMING A FULL ENGINE TEST TO DETERMINE IF A NEW MOTOR IS NEEDED. THUS FAR THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET TO MY CAR. HYUNDAI IS ASKING THAT CARS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TESTED BE RE-TESTED FOR OTHER THINGS BEFORE THEY APPROVE. IN THE INTERIM I HAVE NO CAR, NO LOANER – NOTHING.

  10. Francine Hyman says:

    Add my 2014 accent to the list. I got my oil changed at jiffy lube and not even a month later, the oil light came on and when I went back, I was told it was empty. Since then, I’ve been adding oil. One mechanic says it leaking another says it burning but no one sees any sign of leaking or burning. It’s frustrating. I had to add oil today when I added oil two weeks ago. I’m in Maryland, who do I need to contact about this.

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