Some owners of Hyundai/Kia products are up in arms about oil — and not the price of it on the world’s markets. A cadre of eight people in America, ranging in location from California to Texas to Massachusetts, have brought forth a class-action lawsuit earlier this year alleging the engines in certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles consume inordinate amounts of oil. At issue is the apparent need to add engine oil more frequently than the owner’s manual suggests, plus the allegation that some of the wayward oil finds its way into other parts of the vehicle’s gubbins to cause extra damage.
As per the suit, filed by Nye Stirling Hale And Miller; Sauder Schelkopf LLC and Walsh PLLC, plaintiffs contend the defendants “concealed and failed to address” a known manufacturing defect that results in excessive engine oil consumption and can lead to engine stalling and failure. Plaintiffs say that overfilling the engine with oil isn’t a good solution since the chance exists of submerging the crankshaft, a situation which could foam the oil and reduce lubrication. There’s also the issue of extra oil potentially putting undue strain on gaskets and the like.
Elsewhere in this neck of the woods, Hyundai recently expanded an existing recall by over 150,000 vehicles in Canada due to potential problems which could pose a fire risk or lead to the engine suddenly losing power. That defect could be linked to worn connecting rod bearings.
If you’re seeking for a text of the new class-action suit in its entirety, it can be found by searching Cho et al v. Hyundai Motor Company, Ltd. et al. or the clinically impersonal file name of 8:22-cv-00448.
There are a wide variety of Hyundai and Kia models named in the suit, some going back so far as 2009. According to the suit, cars with the allegedly faulty engines include:
- 2012-2020 Hyundai Elantra
- 2009-2018 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
- 2019-2021 Hyundai Kona
- 2020-2021 Hyundai Palisade
- 2010-2012 Hyundai Santa Fe
- 2015-2021 Hyundai Santa Fe
- 2009-2010 Hyundai Sonata
- 2015-2021 Hyundai Sonata
- 2011-2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
- 2010-2013 Hyundai Tucson
- 2015-2021 Hyundai Tucson
- 2011-2021 Hyundai Veloster
- 2020-2021 Hyundai Venue
- 2010-2021 Kia Forte
- 2017-2020 Kia Niro
- 2011-2020 Kia Optima and Optima Hybrid
- 2012-2021 Kia Rio
- 2011-2020 Kia Sorento
- 2012-2021 Kia Soul
- 2011-2020 Kia Sportage
- 2018-2021 Kia Stinger
- 2022 Kia K5
To find out if your car is affected or covered by a recall campaign, you can check online at Transport Canada, using your VIN.
Keyword: Hyundai, Kia hit with class action lawsuit for oil-burning engines