Hyundai Sonata class action claims automaker fails to honor lifetime battery warranty

Hyundai Sonata class action overview: 

• Who: A couple who bought a Hyundai Sonata sued Hyundai. 
• Why: The plaintiffs say the company does not honor its lifetime warranty for the batteries of the electric vehicles. 
• Where: The Hyundai Sonata class action was filed in Maryland federal court.

Hyundai “abandoned” its customers who bought now-discontinued Sonata Plug-in Hybrid cars, leaving some customers without replacement batteries for over a year, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiffs Samuel Kline and Lauren Kline filed the class action lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America Incorporated Jan. 30 in a Maryland federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws. 

According to the lawsuit, Hyundai sold the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid car in model years 2016 through 2019. It discontinued the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid beginning in the 2020 model year, the plaintiffs say.

The Klines say they bought a new 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid car in December 2016. 

The Klines’ car battery failed in December 2021, they say. They brought the car to their local Hyundai dealership, Fitzgerald Hyundai, for service under Hyundai’s promise in its warranty terms to honor a “lifetime” warranty for the battery. 

However, the dealership has possessed the car since then — for more than 13 months — while promising but failing to acquire or install a replacement battery, according to the Hyundai Sonata class action.

Automaker falsely advertised vehicle, warranty, Hyundai Sonata class action alleges

Hyundai offers a “lifetime” warranty for the battery that powers the Sonata when operating in electric vehicle mode, the lawsuit says. 

However, the Klines say they believe Hyundai does not honor the warranty because it does not have the ability or available inventory to do so.

“With the discontinuation of that product, Hyundai Motor Co. and HMA have also essentially abandoned all those customers who purchased Plaintiffs and to the class members as the class is defined herein,” the Hyundai Sonata class action alleges.

The plaintiffs seek to represent anyone who purchased or leased new 2016-2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Sonata cars from Hyundai authorized dealers in California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Oregon.

They sued for breach of contract, breach of warranty, fraud and breach of consumer laws. The plaintiffs also want the court to force Hyundai to either provide them with replacement batteries or to compensate them for their losses due to the delay in replacing the batteries.

Last year, Hyundai issued a recall for more than 215,000 of its model year 2013-14 Sonata vehicles due to concerns with the vehicles’ fuel systems. 

Are you affected by the claims in this Hyundai Sonata class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Thomas J. Minton of Goldman & Minton, P.C. and David E. Tompkins.

The Hyundai Sonata class action lawsuit is Samuel Kline, et al. v. Hyundai Motor America Incorporated, Case No. 8:23-cv-00245-TDC, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. 

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