My car got stolen 2 months ago - yep, a Hyundai - and was recovered with the obvious damage to the steering column. I took it in for repair and that security upgrade (I didn’t know about it before) but between not returning and calls and trying to charge me $680 to repair the airbag spring THEY broke, they’ve miserable to deal with.
I got my car back last week and everything seemed fine but I didn’t think to check my remote start… and last night I learned that it now set off my alarm.
I had it installed at the dealership when I bought it in 2019 but they didn’t offer a Hyundai remote start as a package option so they put in a Viper system. I called them today and was told that third party starters were not their problem to fix.
I’ve left a message with my insurance agent because (weirdly) he’s the only person involved I trust anymore and looking for answers online leads me to believe Hyundai will NOT fix it. I didn’t see any success stories.
So I’m here to ask: How can I get Hyundai to do something about this? Do I have any recourse here legally? Or is this something I, a tech-savvy but not car-savvy guy could fix himself?
I had the exact same thing happen, just with a 2014 Hyundai. Only aftermarket remote starts were available when I bought the car, so that’s what was installed at the dealer. Took it in for a recall repair 3 years later and the remote start was broken when I picked the car up.
Contacted multiple dealerships and they wouldn’t touch it since it’s aftermarket (despite being installed at a dealer). The shop that did the recall repair flat out said I couldn’t prove it was their work that broke it so they’re not responsible. My only option was to take it to a local shop that does that type of work. Audio install and aftermarket mod shops were the best bet.
This is about the response that can be expected unfortunately. Lots of dealers don’t even like touching accessories from the manufacturer. They just want easy stuff.
They’re sure happy to sell it, though.
In the end dealers exist to make money. Which is unfortunate for us since finding a great mechanic that puts your needs and service over hitting you with the biggest invoice they can is difficult these days.
Being a mechanic just doesn’t pay great. We’re seeing lots of great techs leave the field for other things because of the low pay and terrible treatment. If the dealer treats you bad, imagine working there.
But to get back to your question, have you contacted Hyundai corporate? If you give them all the pertinent details there might be someone there that cares enough to light a fire under the dealers ass.
The mechanic I used my whole life unfortunately passed away a few years ago…he was the best. Always had my back, wouldn’t let me buy a used car unless the seller agreed to let him look at it.
But I have no sympathy for this particular dealership anymore. When I refused to take the car without fixing the spring, they said I could negotiate with my insurance and sent me a quote for $1200 - $680 for the spring repair and then a bunch of services I didn’t ask for.
If I hired painters and they broke a window, I’d expect them to pay for it, too
I’m sorry to hear that. He was definitely one of the few out there.
But yea I agree with your argument against the dealer. They’re just hoping you go away. If you’re loud and persistent enough it should be fixed by then. Especially if your adjuster starts to flex their legal department.
It’s quite possible the dealer will sub contract it out if they do take the repair job.
The shop that did the recall repair flat out said I couldn’t prove it was their work that broke it
They said the same thing to me with the airbag spring! So scummy. I’m hoping my insurance guy comes back saying that it’s absolutely covered but I’m not holding my breath.
Between this and the Lyft rides I’ve had to take, this has been an expensive experience. I’ve had 3 Hyundais but I’m thinking this will be the last.
If it worked before you took it in and it doesn’t now. Then they broke it. They are legally liable for damages they did.
That’s how I feel as well but since I can’t prove they did it, I’m not sure how strong my case is legally.
Attorney, not yours, not advice.
As with all legal issues, it depends. It doesn’t help that you took over a week to discover the issue. But you can testify that it worked, you brought it for service, and now it doesn’t work. The work they did, it sounds like, would be in the same general area as the remote starter.
Get it fixed, send the invoice to the dealership and demand payment. You may want to cite any consumer protection statute you have in your jurisdiction (mine requires claim presentment in writing and 30 days to wait for a reply). Also have the repair facility determine, if possible, what broke specifically and why, noting it in their records. Civil cases are simply preponderance of the evidence, so you might be in decent shape. Good luck!
That’s some good advice, I appreciate it. I spoke to Viper and they said what’s happening is that that the remote start isn’t unlocking the car before starting it because of the security upgrade (but they won’t assist me since I’m not an authorized dealer. I get it)
I bet they installed the anti-theft update (which comes with stickers on the windows) which doesn’t work with remote starts. I heard about some update to that update being in the works but who knows if that’s true.
I’d say you’re probably SOL - there have been post-security update glitches that a battery disconnect or reinstall didn’t fix and unless it was common enough to be spotted (like the update killing Elantra GT rear wipers) you’ll be SOL while the dealer will be happy to shotgun parts at it on your dime.
If there’s a way to downgrade and install aftermarket security + starter kill with your remote start that’d be nice but don’t know if it’s feasible.
I told my family members with affected vehicles to document that EVERY FEATURE WORKS at the dealer before getting the update done. I’m holding off since I already got an aftermarket security + remote start kit installed before the update became available and I have the same, if not better protection in the end.
Is the check engine light on?
It is not, the only error is from the broken daytime running light. This dealership doesn’t do body work so I have to take it in elsewhere next week
Was it factory or aftermarket remote start?
If it is factory, they should fix it. If its aftermarket, did that dealer install the kit? If not, then they’re not responsible for it. Get your insurance to pay for repair or installation of a new aftermarket kit.
I was a Hyundai dealer technician for 4 years. I wouldn’t touch aftermarket parts, not because they’re “hard to install” (they’re not), but because I cannot guarantee the reliability of that part. If I installed an aftermarket part, then I would be “getting married to your car.” Every time your car ever had a problem with that aftermarket kit, you would come back to complain and I would have to deal with diagnosing, removing, and installing another kit for free. I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly like working for free because of something I cannot control.
