Hyundai Canada Settles Class Action Fuel Economy Suit

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff

Hyundai Auto Canada reached a settlement with consumers in a class action lawsuit over exaggerated fuel economy numbers among their Hyundai and Kia lineup of vehicles, paying a total of $46.65 million CAD ($41.85 million USD) in the deal, according to just-auto.

Under the terms of the settlement — affecting current and former owners and lessees of 130,000 Hyundai and Kia models made between MY2011 and MY2013 — consumers can either take a one-time payment based on type of vehicle affected, or remain in an existing reimbursement program Hyundai started in late 2012 after the automaker restated fuel economy ratings. The program covers additional fuel costs associated with the adjustment, along with a 15 percent premium in acknowledgement of the inconvenience over the issue so long as the vehicle is in the possession of the owner or lessee.

Those who take the lump sum will receive the payment minus previous reimbursements from the program. Other options available include a dealership credit of 150 percent of the lump sum, and a 200 percent credit of the cash amount towards the purchase of a new Hyundai or Kia.

Though Hyundai’s Canadian wing has its ducks in a row, their operations in the United States are still in the class action process after the Environmental Protection Agency announced fuel economy overstatements made by the automaker, as well as subsequent adjustments to the fact.

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  • Dweller on the Threshold Dweller on the Threshold on Jan 29, 2014

    Not sure what annoys me more: car sales driven by micro-distinctions in claimed fuel economy as magnified/exaggerated by the MPG standard or car sales driven by surprise and delight infotainment. I guess you can't be wrong with what sells, but it sure ain't my taste.

  • Suspekt Suspekt on Jan 29, 2014

    The most ridiculoust part of fuel economy advertising in Canada is the usage of imperial MPG in advertisements. This practice needs to be banned immediately. It wildly inflates the claimed MPG numbers for all vehicles as the Imperial gallon is 4.54 litres whereas the US gallon is 3.78 litres. In Canada, we receive both US advertising for automobiles as well as Canadian. What ends up happening is you will see a US ad for a Honda Civic claiming 40mpg highway, followed by a Canadian ad for a Dodge Ram claiming 37mpg hwy.... It is simply confusing and misleading to most consumers.....

  • Jconli1 Jconli1 on Jan 29, 2014

    I'm in the US reimbursement program for our 2013 Rio commuter... we've had our first two services mostly paid for by it. Quite happy with the Rio's value, plus we've got a good dealership who likes to hand out the Cadenza as a loaner, and the great twist to it all, I average about 41mpg on the highway, one higher than the "overblown" number that got Hyundai/Kia in trouble to begin with. Very satisfied.

    • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Jan 30, 2014

      If you're getting that kind of highway MPG, then you're not speeding - good for you. I get tired of complainers about fuel economy who confess to setting the cruise at 75 mph 'to keep up with traffic', while they spend the whole trip looking for cops.

  • Zeus01 Zeus01 on Jan 30, 2014

    The window stickers in Canada may show fuel economy in liters per 100 kms, but the numbers- at least until the class action suit slapped Hyundai/Kia silly - were in (Imperial) mpg, quoting 59 mpg for a 2011 Elantra. I rented one in the summer of 2011 (automatic transmission), drove it reasonably conservatively (mostly secondary routes at no more than 60 mph)over a period of two days and on trips no longer than 50 miles, re-filled, noted quantity required to top back up, did the math and came out at 37 miles per Imperial gallon. (around 31 miles per U.S. gallon). Shortly thereafter my wife bought a 2011 Elantra with 6-spd manual transmission. (no automatics for us. We prefer to drive rather than simply ride along). We took it on a trip, driving 700 kms on one tank of gas (around 400 miles) in one day on secondary routes through provincial parks at speeds ranging from 40 mph to 55 mph and without ever shutting the engine off for long enough to cool it down. Doing the math, that worked out to almost 55 miles per Imperial gallon, or around 45 miles per U.S. gallon. (We'd never be able to achieve this now though, because Canada now mandates a minimum of 10% ethanol in all 87 and mid-grade gasoline, cutting fuel economy quite noticeably, but that's another rant for another bottle of wine). So yes, if you drive a manual transmission-equipped Elantra on relatively flat terrain in the tallest gears possible, and you do so like Betty White on qualudes you CAN get CLOSE to Hyundai's exaggerated claims. This provides just enough truth to Hyundai's figures to lend credibility to their b.s.

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