Hyundai to extend expiring warranties for customers

HYUNDAI Motor Group has announced it will extend over one million expiring new-car warranties around the world to assist customers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The South Korean car-maker has ensured that all original warranties that are due to expire between March 1 and May 30 have been extended until May 31, which will mean that 1.21 million vehicles across 175 countries will be eligible.

The Hyundai CARE program will also apply to 27,000 Australian vehicles, with the company’s local arm to contact all affected customers in the coming days with further details about the program.

Hyundai has introduced its warranty program as a way to address the restriction on movement and businesses caused by the COVID-19 crisis, which in certain countries has seen customers unable to travel to their local dealership for a scheduled service.

The extended warranty period varies from country to country, with US Hyundai customers having an extended grace period that finishes on June 30.

Hyundai is offering the extended period for all of its passenger vehicles and SUVs, however it does not extend to its commercial vehicles, namely the iLoad van.

Dealerships and service outlets are still open for business in Australia having been deemed an essential service, however other countries that are experiencing full lockdowns that would not allow owners to service their vehicle.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia CEO Jun Heo said the new measures were designed to ease the burden of COVID-19 for customers, while also allowing for more sensible safety measures.

“We appreciate that many of our customers may have limited access to vehicle servicing during these extraordinary times,” he said.

“With Hyundai CARE, we wish to set their minds at ease regarding eligibility for warranty repairs and related services in the coming months.

“Not only do we care about our customers’ health and safety, we aim to remove the added stress where customers are unable to have repairs completed before their vehicle’s warranty expires.”

Hyundai Australia currently offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on its new-vehicle fleet, an assurance period that is fast becoming the norm across the industry.

Other manufacturers have started making certain exceptions in the wake of the changing economic conditions brought on by COVID-19, such as Mazda Australia which last month launched a flexible financing initiative that aims to better tailor loan programs to better suit the budget and lifestyle of this customers.

Ford Australia has also started a remote servicing pick-up and drop-off program, where customers no longer have to physically go to a dealership to ensure their car is serviced.

Through the first three months of 2020, overall Hyundai sales have slipped 18.0 per cent compared to the same period in 2019 (20,365 sales down to 16,694).

It had a particularly tough March as the effects of the virus began to take hold, with a 31.4 per cent year-on-year skid.