kjs said:
Be careful when going to these places and having "aftermarket" filters put
on Hyundai vehicles. My mother took her 2004 Santa Fe to an independent
garage that she has used for 20 years for her first oil change. 2 weeks
and 285 miles later her engine blew and now Hyundai won't prove that it
was from the oil change and the garage said they did nothing wrong.
Hyundai wouldn't even look at the car the first 2 weeks it was at their
dealership because it had an "aftermarket" filter on it. If your going to
do the oil change yourself, you can demand Hyundai to supply you with an
oil filter for free under the "Magnuson Moss Act of 1982". Hyundai has now
voided her warranty on a vehicle that has 3147 miles on it and they want
her to pay $9200 to replace the engine. Note: they have not proven what
caused the failure.
You posted this elsewhere and I replied to it there. Hyundai does not
require that you use their filters. If they did, they would have to
provide them free of charge. What they require is a filter that meets
factory specifications.
One of two things happened here:
1) Either the oil changer used the wrong filter for the car or the
filter they installed was defective. If teh former of these is the case
of these is the case, they are liable for the damage. If the filter was
defective, the filter manufacturer is liable.
2) She suffered an unrelated engine failure. In that case, Hyundai is
liable for the damage and must cover it under warranty.
Have you gone to Hyundai directly about this or are you going through
the dealer? If you haven't already, GO DIRECTLY TO HYUNDAI. More than
likely, they will help you. If not, you're probably going to end up
suing someone.
Have you retrieved the vehicle as I suggested? If you leave it at the
dealer, you're giving them the opportunity to tamper with it. If you end
up suing, you need the vehicle for evidence. You'll also need to get the
damage evaluated by an independent mechanic with no connection to
Hyundai or the oil changer. That's the only way you're going to get
credible evidence for a lawsuit.
Have you contacted the oil changer? What's their story?