A DRIVER'S car has been stuck at a repair garage for months after it stalled on the highway – and she's seemingly no closer to getting it back.
Maddie Fitzgerald of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, believes her 2014 Hyundai Sonata’s breakdown was due to an issue warned about in a safety recall issued on her vehicle.
But according to a report by CBS News, the experts don't seem to agree with her.
Fitzgerald said: "I was driving down the highway, down Route 30, and my car, just out of nowhere, started knocking and just completely stalled on the side of the highway."
After the incident, she took her Sonata to an auto body shop but was advised to get her car towed to a Hyundai specialist because of the outstanding safety recall.
Fitzgerald points to a notice on Hyundai’s website for Sonata models from 2013 and 2014, which states: “Your Hyundai dealer will inspect, and if necessary, replace the engine. This inspection will be performed at no charge to you.”
But the local dealership disagreed with the verdict.
“They just basically said that it didn’t fall under the recall, even though we had the documents from their site, stating that my car year, make, model, and everything was included in the recall, and all of the symptoms that my car had fallen into the symptoms of the recall,” she added.
Seven months later, the car is still in the shop due to the mystery issue and after weeks of back and forth with CBS affiliate KDKA-TV, a spokesperson from Hyundai corporate said: “My understanding is the dealership is waiting for a part to complete the recall.
"According to the information I received, the part will arrive first of next week.”
NEXT STEPS
Fitzgerald claims the dealership has been asking her for maintenance records – although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told consumers that they don’t need to provide that.
She's hoping for a solution soon, as her job as a case worker relies on a vehicle.
It’s just, it’s very hard to do that when you don’t have a reliable vehicle
Maddie Fitzgerald
She said: “It’s in our job description that we need a vehicle because I am driving to clients’ houses. I’m driving to community appointments with clients to support them.
"It’s just, it’s very hard to do that when you don’t have a reliable vehicle."
Fitzgerald’s recall headache has led experts to remind consumers of their rights when it comes to vehicle safety recalls.
First and foremost, consumers have the right to a remedy, which means manufacturers are legally obligated to fix the safety defects – usually for free.
They also have the right to be notified about the recall and the right to seek reimbursement.
If repairs have already been paid for, then reimbursement may be possible.
There is also the right to seek legal counsel and the right to report any issue to the NHTSA – potentially triggering an investigation.
Hyundai and Amazon's digital car-buying platform
In November 2023, Hyundai and Amazon announced their partnership.
The collaboration between the Korean automaker and online shopping giant promised to bring “innovative new experiences” to customers.
The pilot program said that Amazon would launch online vehicle sales in the US, starting with Hyundai in 2024.
“Customers will be able to search on Amazon for available vehicles in their area based on a range of preferences, including model, trim, color, and features, choose their preferred car, and then check out online with their chosen payment and financing options—all within the Amazon experience they already know and trust,” the companies announced in a press release.
On top of the move to online car sales, Hyundai named Amazon Web Services as its preferred cloud provider to help with operations. Plus, the companies said that Alexa would be built-in to Hyundai’s next-generation vehicles.
“Hyundai is a very innovative company that shares Amazon's passion for trying to make customers' lives better and easier every day,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said at the announcement at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show.
“Our broad, strategic partnership should do just that, from changing the ease with which customers can buy vehicles online, to making it simple to use Alexa in Hyundai vehicles for entertainment, shopping, smart home adjustments, and calendar checks, to enabling Hyundai to transform their customer experiences and business operations by moving to AWS.
“We look forward to inventing together for many years.”
Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, shared a similar statement.
“Partnering with one of the world's most customer-centric organizations unlocks incredible opportunities as we continue to expand our portfolio, grow our sales network, transition to electrification and realize the future of smart mobility,” Chang said.
“Amazon is the ideal partner to help realize our vision of progress for humanity, including improving how people and goods move more efficiently and sustainably.
“Hyundai is the first automotive company available for full end-to-end transactions in Amazon's U.S. store and this is another example of how we continue to push for ways to elevate the customer journey together with our outstanding retail partners.”
