Oh, I’ve definitely learned that lesson.
Yes, this is a very tough way to have to learn that lesson, but the post below reinforces what we always say in this forum about the importance of reading the Owner’s Manual:
Mustangman,
I don’t have 10,000 dollars to replace an engine, so I’ve been forced to let it sit. I’m not sure what is “stupid” about that.
So how many lawyers have you talked to? Depending on your state, Hyundai would be forced to pay the attorney’s fees as well as the judgement if you win.
Don’t know nor care what state you live in but this lawyer makes a pretty good living handling cases like yours in Michigan;
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The warranty confers obligations to both parties. If the owner doesn’t do their part, the carmaker has no obligation to that owner. In that case, it’s incorrect to describe that as the carmaker failing to honor their warranty, because the failure of the owner relieves the carmaker of obligation.
If the carmaker decides to do some good will compensation, that’s not the same as warranty work. That may be this owner’s best hope, and might mean legal action.
You now know first hand what happens when you don’t have perfect records.
+1
All car manufacturers’ warranties are essentially contracts. If the purchaser doesn’t uphold his/her obligations under the terms of the warranty, that relieves the seller/manufacturer from having to live up to its obligations under the terms of the warranty.
you dont have a new car. you dont need a NEW engine
make a deal. pay for motor and have dealer put it in for you
According to the Warranty I’m afraid you’re SOL (sadly out of luck?).
Instead of butting heads with the giant, because you did not fulfil your obligation to keep the warranty, I’d try to appeal to Hyundai on the customer goodwill avenue.
They didn’t do their part right by making junk engines and you admittedly didn’t do your part. Perhaps you could meet them in the middle.
In your case you can probably catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Warranty coverage is in black and white, i’s dotted and t’s crossed, but asking for customer goodwill appeals to different people that are not following any particular strict and rigid set of parameters. These folks want you be a loyal customer, not pack sand.
I’m guessing it’s your only shot at getting help. Be just as nice and respectful as possible.
CSA
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+1
I’m just hoping that the OP didn’t already tell the folks at Hyundai Customer Service that he will never buy another Hyundai. Why do some people think that they will get better customer service by eliminating the major motivation for the company to come to their aid?
In my opinion, Hyundai is very good at denying warranty when they want to, or when they’re trying to hide a defect.
I speak from experience. Thinking I could get what I was due (and what the Hyundai mechanic privately told me what he thought I was due), turned out to be a very expensive lesson for me.
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You are not the first to get burned by Hyundai weaseling out of repair. This has happened to a few folks with slightly neglected maintenance and the glass motors they build.
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Up to now I would have not considered buying a Hyundai.
From now forward I never will consider buying one, new, used, or otherwise. Heck, I won’t even rent one. Uber ride from the airport? Maybe…
CSA
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Which years and models use this engine? According to Consumer Reports data on Hyundai, most years and models have engines that rate better than average or much better than average for Engine Major problems. From 2010 to 2017, the exceptions were '13 Azera (average), '11 Sonata (worse than average) and '12 Sonata (average.) If the experience of CR readers is indicative, the percentage of engines Hyundai has to cover isn’t enough to break the bank.
I subscribed to CR for many decades, renewing 5 years at a time. During that time I could NEVER trust nor use their car survey ratings. They never fit with the cars I owned and way exaggerated any perceived differences in reliability. (I will acknowledge that the actual physical tests and measuring done on cars was useful, but not surveys/ratings). It was of no value to me. Although some people thought it told a story and it sold magazines for them as planned.
Then they changed their format, rating symbols, etcetera on the products that I used them for (not based on surveys, but rather testing) and had a whole new updated look. I think they were hi-jacked by millennials walking around playing with their cell phones.
Finally, I ended my subscription. They didn’t care and I’ve never been happier for it.
CSA
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As fas as Hyundai and warranties, based on their forum, it seems they have been a bit lenient on replacing engines on this problem cars.
OTOH, I have a Tucson also.The rear shocks are shot and making a clunking noise while at standstill. The car has less then 40K miles and still under warranty. I took it in 3 times. First two, they could not reproduce the problem-even though the service writer could hear it perfectly well. The third time they told me my tires were cupped and I needed new tires and an alignment before they could be sure the rear shocks were shot. No amount of arguing worked. I could not convince them that a noise when the car is not moving is not from cupped tires. I was more pissed now because they would indirectly admit that my rear shocks were so bad that caused tire cupping.
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I will answer your question. If you truly cannot afford to get this car fixed, then you likely don’t own much, if anything above your state’s bankruptcy exemptions. And you probably have other debts which are draining your finances.
Hence, the smart thing would have been to stop paying this loan, tell the lender to pick up their broken car, and to declare bankruptcy if sued. Continuing to pay a hefty loan for an undrivable car is not smart. Especially when the car is known to be a defective model, which means that even if it did get repaired, the problem would likely recur at some point.
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Is Hyundai saying that their techs discovered sludge in the engine, and b/c of that finding the engine damage must be the owner’s fault and they don’t care to inspect your oil change receipts? If so, that doesn’t seem fair. However, if they are saying they’ve inspected your oil change receipts and find them wanting, well, they may have a point there Do you possess documents (from shops, parts stores, etc) which unambiguously prove you purchased the oil and filter changes or at least the oil and filters on dates consistent with the specified oil change intervals?
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The OP stated that he does not have receipts, only notes.
Sludge in the engine means that you were not changing the oil often enough.
Lack of receipts and handwritten notes go a long way towards legitimately denying a warranty claim.
Some could ruin an engine through neglect and then sit down at the kitchen table that night and easily fabricate a tale of maintenance over and beyond what is called for.
This one is on you.
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