Hyundai America sued for prematurely oxidizing Genesis vehicle paint and clear coat

Hyundai America is facing a class-action lawsuit over defective paint on its vehicles.

According to Top Class Actions, plaintiff Gaetano Russo filed a class-action lawsuit against Hyundai America, alleging that the paint and clear coat on Hyundai Genesis models prematurely oxidized, weakened, and peeled off.

“Consumers who have posted complaints on sites like genesisowners.com and carcomplaints.com have stated that they reported clear coat and paint damage issues to the defendant (Hyundai), but were ignored and have to take care of the damage themselves,” the plaintiffs wrote in the complaint, which was filed in federal court in New York on March 15.

According to the complaint, the paint issues are being caused by premature oxidation on vehicles as early as two to three years old, causing the paint to dull, fade, and, in the case of lighter-colored paints like cream or white, turn yellow or orange.

On Reddit, multiple posts have been made about Genesis paint issues. One Reddit user complained that their leased 2019 Genesis G70 3.3T was quickly losing its front grille bumper paint after 50,000 miles, and when they contacted the dealer, they were told to contact Genesis headquarters directly.

Other users in the comments reported the same damage, and it appeared that depending on the dealer, they were either offered a free repair or not.

“Many Hyundai Genesis owners are driving around with paint damage because of the cost of repairs,” the plaintiffs claimed, “and the paint defect is clearly preventable, as other models do not have this problem.”

The plaintiffs, who have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of affected vehicle owners in the New York area, say that repair estimates for paint and clear coat damage range from $200 to $1,800. They are seeking compensation for monetary damages, repair costs, attorneys’ fees, and court costs.

“New Hyundai Genesis vehicles have been and will continue to be sold at a premium price compared to other vehicles which do not have paint issues,” it added.

Hyundai has sold Genesis vehicles as part of the Hyundai brand since 2008, before launching Genesis as its independent luxury brand in December 2015, where it markets luxury sedans, SUVs, and electric vehicles. The G80 and G90, previously marketed under the Hyundai brand, began selling under the Genesis brand in late 2016, and the G70 debuted at the 2018 New York Auto Show.

BY NAKI PARK, HOONSIK WOO [park.naki@koreadaily.com]