Hyundai kia repaying buyers for false mileage claims

Bye-bye 40 mpg: Hyundai and Kia are lowering the fuel economy ratings of some 900,000 vehicles due to a “procedural error” made during the Environmental Protection Agency’s testing cycle. Seven different 2013 Hyundai models and different 2013 Kia models will see their ratings drop by anywhere from one to six mpg.

We’ve actually heard about this before: in July, a class-action lawsuit was filed in California against Hyundai for misleading customers by advertising cars’ high highway mpg ratings, not the combined number, which was closer to real-world fuel-economy (and much lower than what was advertised). Now, following an official investigation by the EPA, Hyundai and Kia are adjusting fuel economy figures on the following cars: 2011 Hyundai Elantra and Sonata Hybrid; 2012 Hyundai Accent, Azera, Elantra, Sonata Hybrid, Tucson, and Veloster; 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid, Rio, Sorento, Soul, and Sportage; 2013 Hyundai Accent, Azera, Elantra, Elantra GT, Elantra Coupe, Genesis, Santa Fe, Tucson, and Veloster; and the 2013 Kia Rio, Sorento, Soul, and Sportage.

The decrease in the fuel economy numbers varies pending on the engine, transmission, and driveline. Some of the biggest losers include the 2013 Kia Soul equipped with the 2.0-liter I-4 and automatic, now rated at 23/28 mpg city/highway (down from 26/34 mpg); the 2013 Kia Rio automatic, down from 30/40 mpg to 28/36; the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4 with front-wheel drive is down to 21/29 mpg from 22/33 mpg; and the 2013 Hyundai Accent, which now achieves 28/37 mpg instead of 30/40 mpg.

This is a hard hit for Hyundai and Kia, as both companies (especially Hyundai) heavily advertised having numerous 40-mpg models in its lineup. As a compensation for the error, the automakers will be providing current and former owners with debit cards that cover the cost of fuel calculated by the difference in the new and old EPA combined cycles, the price of gas in the owner’s area, and the amount the owner drives.

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Source: Automobile (Nordlicht, 11/2)