Hyundai, Kia In Hot Water Over Exaggerated Fuel Economy Estimates
Hyundai and Kia have recently come under fire for exaggerating the fuel economy of its vehicles, according to CBS Chicago.
A Chicago woman’s lawsuit claims that she was promised 20 miles per gallon when she purchased her Hyundai 2013 Santa Fe Sport. Unfortunately for the car buyer, the vehicle only gets around 16. The woman claims this discrepancy ultimately costs her around $700 a year.
Hyundai has admitted that a testing flaw at one of its facilities in South Korea led to the exaggerated fuel economy estimates found on roughly 600,000 of its vehicles. Customers who purchased an automobile based on these figures are encouraged to contact the company’s voluntary reimbursement program.
According to the Legal Examiner, car manufacturer Kia has also stated that several of its vehicles were also included in this testing flaw.
John Krafcik, chief executive of Hyundai Motor America, explained that he intended to do whatever it took to make this situation right for the company’s customers.
“Given the importance of fuel efficiency to all of us, we’re extremely sorry about these errors,” Krafcik explained to the Los Angeles Times. “We’re going to make this right for everyone.”
In order to compensate drivers for the money they’ve lost as a result of the inaccurate fuel economy estimates, Hyundai explained that it will issue personalized debit cards to those who purchased vehicles based on the exaggerated information.
Payments will be made to customers based on the “fuel price in the region where owners live and on the miles they drive.” These cards will be replenished for as long as the individual owns the vehicle in question. Previous owners of the offending automobiles will be compensated for their troubles as well.
Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor insists that the fuel economy estimates were a mistake. Some folks have theorized that the exaggeration was rigged.
Do you believe that Hyundai and Kia’s exaggerated fuel economy estimates were unintentional?
