Hyundai owner argues with dealer over engine replacement

Hoang Xuan Toan bought his Santa Fe April last year, but by December the car suddenly slowed from 90 to 50 kph on a highway, with engine error signals popping up.

Technicians at Hyundai Quang Ninh disassembled the engine and found many problems. They confirmed that there was no sign of previous disassembly and the engine suffered no exterior force.

As the car has a warranty of three years, Hyundai Quang Ninh offered to replace all broken parts of the engine for free.

Toan, however, refused, saying a reassembled engine would never work as well as a new one. He requested a brand new engine but was denied.

“I was disappointed by how the dealership decided to handle the situation. The breakdown was not the user’s fault and therefore I expect a full replacement,” he said.

The two parties have still not been able to come to an agreement six months later.

Toan said he had reported the issue to the Vietnam Consumers Protection Association in Quang Ninh. He has also filed a lawsuit to Cam Pha City Court.

Hyundai Thanh Cong, the distributor of Hyundai cars in Vietnam, said that the situation was being handled correctly as per company policy.

“Not all engines are replaced entirely when faults are found. We need to assess each individual case to make the best offer to both parties,” a spokesperson said.

The South Korean brand said that it applied this policy consistently in all markets, and a car with replaced parts would operate normally.

Hyundai Thanh Cong has also offered Toan an additional warranty of 12 months or 20,000 kilometers, whichever comes first, for the replaced parts.