Hyundai Complaint

Hyundai - 10 yr100,,000 mile warranty is a fraud

I purchased a 2005 (brand new then) Hyundai Elantra in July of 2005. Before settling on this vehicle I researched via the internet for over a month different vehicles the warranties offered by the manufactures, coming to the conclusion that no other manufacture out there could top the 10 year100,000 mile warranty on the power train that Hyundai offered.
Unfortunately, I am sorry to report after almost 4 yrs of ownership 71,055 miles the warrantee I thought was so great turns out to be nothing short of a lie. My story…driving home from work the evening of April 1, 2009 (and no this isn’t a april fools joke) I got on 91 south, accelerated eventually up to the speed limit of 65 mph, after a few minutes of driving I started hearing all this very loud metal crunching sound coming from my vehicle. I immediately took my foot off the gas and let the car decline in speed to 50 mph, the metal sound stopped so I slowly started the acceleration process again. Made it for less than a mile and it started again, got off the highway pulled over to check in case the muffler had fallen down. There were no visable problems. Eventually made it home, parked the car on the street in front of house. Went out next morning started the vehicle, started up with no problems, put it in drive the car would not move, it was like I was in the park gear, but the car in 3rd gear then Low still car would not move, tried reverse still nothing. Called the Hyundai number for towing as I am covered for towing for 5 years, no problems made arraignments with them for them to pick up the vehicle and bring it back to the dealership of purchase, which was Lia Hyundai in Hartford CT.
They said they would contact me when they were done checking the vehicle to see what was wrong.
Eventually they called and stated the transmission had blown, that the “pin for spider gears failed due to stress causing pin to shatter transmission case.” I said “okay, I’m covered as I’m still under warranty.” I was told I would have to wait to the next day, April 3rd 2009 for the “district manager for the manufacturer to look at it and determine if I fell under the warranty for repairs. Approximately 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 3rd I received a call from the car dealership stating the district manager was refusing to honor the warrantee because of my lack of maintenance. I asked what lack of maintenance. According to the district manager “CT is considered a severe weather state” by the manufacturer therefore I should have had a transmission fuel change done at 30,000 miles, and every 30,000 miles there after, and I was at 71,055 miles. The dealership then stated I was there when I had 30,900 miles for an oil change and it didn’t show that I did a transmission fluid change at that time. I replied that no one had told me when I came in at that time that I needed to do a transmission fluid change and that I had just had a regular oil change in Middletown on March 14th, 2009 and they inspected my transmission fluid and told me that within the next one (1) to two (2) oil changes it would be time to do a transmission fluid change. I explained that MY 2005 owner’s manual states to have the transmission fluid inspected every 15,000 miles and after inspection to “clean, adjust, repair or replace if necessary”, and to “REPLACE” the transmission fluid at 105,000 miles. The dealership said they could not help me as the district manager has the last word. On April 9th 2009 I did call Hyundai Consumer Affairs @ 1-800-633-5151 to find out “how” this district manager could refuse my repair as I had never heard of CT being called a severe weather state. I explained I was looking at the book as we spoke and what it stated about the inspections vs replacement at 105,000 miles. She told me to turn to a different page number and it was titled “maintenance under severe usage conditions”, it indicated different letters for driving conditions which I read aloud on the phone also indicating as I read each one that that particular condition did not apply to me, at the end we got to letter “C” which indicated:

C - driving on rough, dusty, muddy, unpaved, graveled or salt-spread roads.

Which I indicated to her that none of that applied to me to which she stated that the last part, “salt-spread roads” applied to CT….I advised her after EVERY snow storm I would go to the car wash and pay 10.00 for the wash that washed UNDER the car to remove the salt, she said because I did not change the transmission fluid at 30,000 miles I was not covered. If you read all the letters and road conditions they list under “severe usage” you will find there is NOT ONE STATE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT YOU CAN DRIVE A HYUNDAI without possible transmission problems. I know there is nothing you can do for me BUT perhaps you could WARN other Hyundai owners out there in our wonderful “severe weather state” to get their transmission fluid changed EVERY 30,000 miles because if ANYTHING happens Hyundai will walk away with no responsibility to them or their warranty.

The sad part is you have NO ACCESS to the owners manual until AFTER your purchase the vehicle and the loan papers have been approved and signed nor does anyone from the dealership or manufacturer advise you before, during or after the sale that CT. is a severe weather state. I will be 54 yrs old in July have lived here my entire life, have owned many cars and have NEVER had a transmission blow after 71,000 miles.

If you're also a victim of this company, then submit your own Hyundai complaint letter