NHTSA Complaint #11655695 — 2019 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

On 03/22/2025, I took my car into Riverside Hyundai because of engine shuttering. Riverside Hyundai discovered foreign fragments in my cylinder from the piston and stated they had never seen this issue before. Their diagnosis was engine replacement at an estimated cost of approximately $7,500 for the engine and $3,168 for labor for a total amount of $10,668. Searching for answers, I quickly came across the Hyundai Elantra Piston Defect Class Action Lawsuit (Brown v. Hyundai Motor America), which pertains to an engine piston defect not properly heat treated affecting the same year and make of my 2019 Hyundai Elantra. The class action lawsuit related to a defect found in certain Elantras equipped with Nu 1.8L engines. Although this defect is specifically tied to issues within the pistons, which are a critical component of the engine responsible for generating the force necessary to power the vehicle. The defect can ultimately result in “total and irreparable engine failure.” This failure leads to a loss of engine power, power steering, and brake assistance, all of which pose significant safety risks. While this class action suit has settled, and is an important step in addressing the engine defect that has already impacted many vehicle owners, I believe that the scope of the class action lawsuit was not broad enough, as it failed to include all vehicles that could potentially be affected by the same or similar defects, specifically Hyundai Elantras with different engine types, like the one in my 2019 Hyundai Elantra. Although my Elantra is equipped with a different engine, I believe that the defect that was present in the class action suit, is the same defect that caused this damage to my engine. I also came across images of the defect online which seem identical to damage caused to my engine. Please see attached files for your review. Riverside Hyundai has denied my request for a good faith replacement engine and are still waiting on a reply from Hyundai.