Hyundai’s Paint Problem: Chicago Car Owners Struggle for Warranty Coverage

CHICAGO (WLS) — Numerous car owners in the Chicago area are voicing concerns over peeling paint on their vehicles, with no apparent resolution in sight.

One local driver reached out to the ABC7 I-Team after noticing the paint on his car was flaking off. Upon investigation, the I-Team discovered that this issue is affecting other vehicles of the same make.

Hyundai, the car manufacturer in question, has admitted to paint issues on certain models and has extended warranty coverage, but this offer is limited to specific white paint colors. Local residents, such as Michael Ehlers, argue that this leaves many drivers dealing with an expensive problem on their own.

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Michael Ehlers, who resides in the western suburb of Westchester, reported that the paint on his 2017 Hyundai Elantra began peeling shortly after he purchased it in 2020.

“The paint is peeling and bubbling up all over,” Ehlers expressed. “It shouldn’t be deteriorating this quickly.”

Ehlers initially sought help from his dealership.

“They told me it was beyond the paint warranty, and they weren’t responsible for it,” Ehlers said.

So, then he turned to his body shop for a touchup.

“My body shop told me they wouldn’t paint it because they couldn’t guarantee the work… and it would continue to peel,” Ehlers said.

So, then he turned to the manufacturer, Hyundai.

“I’ve been getting the runaround almost four years now,” Ehlers said. “I’ve been back and forth with them like three times. Meanwhile, the paint’s continuing to peel off the car, on the roof, on the hood.”

In this warranty extension, Hyundai acknowledged the problem in several models and years, including Ehlers’ car.

The problem?

“Same year, same make, same everything. The difference is, mine is silver, called Symphony Silver, which is one shade up from white, and theirs are white,” Ehlers said.

Hyundai says the extended warranty on the paint is only for “certain white paint colors under these conditions.” That warranty extension happened May, months after ABC affiliate WSB in Atlanta investigated paint flaking off some white Hyundai vehicles.

“There is a fix for some owners but not for others, and essentially it comes down to which color they picked out and that’s fundamentally unfair,” said Michael Brooks from a consumer watchdog group, The Center for Auto Safety.

Brooks says his agency is also getting complaints about all car colors, not just white colors.

“We’ve been contacted by numerous consumers with all types of colors of Hyundai who have had problems with the paint peeling, so it’s certainly not limited to the white or the lighter colors,” Brooks said.

Brooks says since this is not a “safety issue” there is little that can be done by government regulators like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“There’s very little oversight by states or the federal government at all, so it puts consumers in really bad positions,” Brooks said.

Hyundai told the I-Team it’s “committed to supporting our customers and addressing concerns when they arise. In response to isolated instances of paint issues on certain white vehicles, Hyundai made the decision to extend warranty coverage for affected models.”

“I would love to trade my car in now, but it’s worth less than what I still owe on it because of the paint, exclusively because of the paint,” Ehlers said.

The I-Team also sent Hyundai Ehlers’ case.

The manufacturer said “the vehicle was evaluated.”

In a recent letter to Ehlers, it said, “We have carefully reviewed your request for the goodwill offer of paint repairs to your vehicle and have determined we cannot provide assistance due to the malfunction being out of warranty by time and mileage on your vehicle.”

But Ehlers’ vehicle would have qualified for that extended warranty, if it was one of those white colors.

“It’s embarrassing. Who wants to drive a car like that? It looks awful,” Ehlers said.

Consumer experts say paint problems like this rarely lead to recalls, so documentation is critical. If a car shows early signs of peeling, experts recommend taking photos, contacting the dealer and manufacturer immediately, and not agreeing to partial fixes.

Ehlers says if he wanted to get an entire new paint job on his own, it could cost $5,000 to $10,000.