In the face of an impending lawsuit, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. and Kia Canada Inc. have admitted today that some of their vehicles aren't as fuel efficient as they advertised. They are blaming an error at the companies' testing facility in Korea.
A class action lawsuit against Hyundai has been filed by law firm Siskinds LLP.
Canadians who bought a Hyundai or Kia automobile between 2010 and 2013 aren't getting the fuel efficiency numbers they were promised.
"Hyundai and Kia spent a lot of time and money selling Canadians a very compelling story, capitalizing on public concern over rising fuel costs and the environment. Unfortunately, that story was fiction," said Matthew Baer, a lawyer with Siskinds LLP.
"We have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of these owners because we feel Hyundai and Kia should be obligated to tell the truth. They need to explain to Canadians what the real numbers are, and how long they've been aware of those real numbers. How long have Canadians been lied to?"
It is too early at this stage to quantify the claims of potential class members and/or the adequacy of proposed compensation. Canadians who purchased or leased one of the above vehicles are encouraged to visit www.classaction.ca or to call 1-800-461-6166 ext 2381 for English enquiries or 514-849-1970 for French enquiries.
The affected vehicles for Hyundai are the 2010 to 2013 Elantra (pictured), Sonata Hybrid, Accent, Genesis, Tucson, Veloster, Elantra Coupe, Elantra GT and Santa Fe. For Kia, the affected vehicles are the 2010 to 2013 Rio, Sportage, Soul, Soul ECO, and Optima HEV.
