I was told today because of recall 200, Hyundai wants buy back our cars

Mattsburgh

Mattsburgh

Active Member
So... I just talked to corporate Hyundai today and I'm sure this is going to cause a lot of confusion but they were very clear with me regarding US Kona Electrics:

1. It is NOT their plan to replace any batteries
2. Their solution at this time is to buy back affected 2019 Kona Electrics, including mine.

I'm just telling you what I was told. I was instructed to get P29 done (I have an appt. tomorrow) and that she'd get me my $200 gift card and then start the buyback process with me.

I was told several times that they have no plans at this time to replace the battery pack on these cars. So I said "are you saying my options are keep the car at 80% max charge forever, or sell it back?" and the answer was if I keep the car, in her opinion I would probably need to keep it at 80% max charge for the rest of the time I owned it.

I must admit I did not expect this at all. I expected them to offer me a loaner and if I wanted them to buyback the car I expected a fight. Rather, they were pushing to buy it back from the start. She said "if we put you in a loaner, I think you'd be in that car a very long time".
 
Thanks for sharing this. I put in a request for information. Probably smart of Hyundai in the long run. Did you call through Blue link or submit a new message with a request to contact you? Would help to share this.
 
GeorgeS said:
Thanks for sharing this. I put in a request for information. Probably smart of Hyundai in the long run. Did you call through Blue link or submit a new message with a request to contact you? Would help to share this.
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I just called Hyundai corporate directly and opened a ticket. I got a call back in less than 48 hours even though they told me it would be 5 days. The rep I spoke to said "it's usually 5 days but because you have the 2019 Kona Electric and because of recall 200 I made it a point to call right away"
 
Yeah, it would be ridiculously costly for Hyundai to replace every Kona EV with a new battery....unless it bricks itself after their updates.

The problem with us owners is this: What is the fair price for the buybacks, considering the trouble we had went through???

I would assume Hyundai will based the buyback with depreciation on a normal car. But the trouble we went through is nowhere near what a 'normal' car owner had went through. So expect a lowball buyback price. If you think getting only $200 for a 20% battery capacity reduction is a joke, I cannot wait to see what the buyback offer will be....

If the traction motor battery costs $30,000, then 20% of $30,000, or $6,000 is what Hyundai should refund for all Kona EV owners, IMHO.
 
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What would become of that many cars and especially their recycleable parts, e.g. battery materials
that could see new life without folded anode tabs?? Which path is ultimately more expensive for
humanity in general, and how multitudinous the ways Hyundai would seek to cheat on it?

I'd really rather keep the car, but now it sitting here with a dinged-up rear and insurance people
taking their sweet ol' time getting back to me is making me really wonder how this could play out.

_H*
 
What is even more funny is Hyundai is now pushing the overpriced Ioniq 5.

Maybe Hyundai will try to salvaged Kona EV parts to be used in their Ioniq 5, who knows?

Considering most of Hyundai's current Kona EV owners getting shafted (their EV owner base), how many of us will be jumping to buy their $45k+ car with the bad taste still lingering in our mouths? Oh well, time to sucker in new clueless buyers....
 
Not sure how they'll handle leases - a year and a half to go on mine, I hope they just let me complete to term if I promise to max at 80%. Occasionally topping off to 100% just prior to longer drives shouldn't be a problem.
 
greinstein said:
Please keep us in the loop when you get a buyback price from corporate.
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I will. The person I spoke to didn't want to go on record since she isn't in the finance / buyback dept. but she told me she thinks they pay the price you bought it for, minus a deduction for mileage. If that's true, it could be a very good offer. But I'm an optimist. Still, if buyback is truly their solution they must know they have to offer something pretty reasonable to get people to agree to go along with it. Admittedly I'm anxious to see how this all plays out. On the one hand I really love the car and honestly was going to be ok with a battery swap and just keep the car. But that doesn't sound like an option so I guess I will probably do the buyback. I'm certainly not keeping the car and only charging to 80% for the rest of its life.
 
The crazy thing here is that I'm supposed to be dropping off my 2018 Kia Soul EV to Carvana on Tuesday next week, I was selling it to them. So it's looking like I'm going from 2 EVs to 0 in a very short time here.
 
Jimct said:
Not sure how they'll handle leases - a year and a half to go on mine, I hope they just let me complete to term if I promise to max at 80%. Occasionally topping off to 100% just prior to longer drives shouldn't be a problem.
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My friend has one on lease too. We're both wondering about that too. They seem adamant that we shouldn't charge above 80%. Which technically is what, really only about 73-75% given there was already a buffer.
 
gonfunko said:
I think keeping the car would be an option at least – for 2019 models in the US there's a lifetime warranty on the battery, so if you insist I can't see any way they can get around swapping it for you.
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Good point. Which also gives me hope that this means their buyback offer will be solid.
 
gonfunko said:
I think keeping the car would be an option at least – for 2019 models in the US there's a lifetime warranty on the battery, so if you insist I can't see any way they can get around swapping it for you.
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They can drag their feet. Since they registered with the NHTSA, I don't think they will be successful on this. I believe that it being a safety issue, it will be enforced.
 
Hyundai needs to e on record with this. I suggest anyone that speaks with Hyundai, record the call, of course notify the person the call is being recorded.
 
1st-KonaEV-in-FL said:
Hyundai needs to e on record with this. I suggest anyone that speaks with Hyundai, record the call, of course notify the person the call is being recorded.
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Depending on the state, you may or may not need to notify them that you are recording. New Jersey, for example, is a one-party consent jurisdiction when it comes to recording conversations, meaning only one party (you) needs to be aware of the recording taking place. As with all things legal, there may be nuances to this, so just do your research before doing so.
 
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Several US owners on FB have said the same thing. Every country's importer is free to handle this situation as they see fit.
 
We prefer to keep our 2019, and since we bought new,first owner, we would think Hyundai would have to honor the lifetime battery warranty. Not to mention what a safety issue this is, and the diminished valve we have suffered (80% or less range), without any compensation as of yet.
 
It has been a very frustrating time - leased car just a week or so before news about recall came out.
Been fighting with dealership ever since

car is in service and I have a loaner until battery fixed

but more and more it sounds like there never happening. Hyundai needs to buy out lease so we can get out free (we should get money back -but no way I’m paying em to take it back)
 
I look forward to hearing from someone who has gone through the buy back process. Did you get Hyundai to pay for the sales taxes and new car registration fees? Had you modified your Kona? Did you have custom accessories? Were there other issues that affected negotiations?
 
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