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Two months ago I received a notice in the mail from Hyundai Motors stating that my ‘dealer installed trailer hitch’ could collect water, corrode the wires and create a short that could start a fire. I was instructed to never park my car in the garage and to keep it away from my house until a temporary fix could be applied. This involved an extra set of wires including a fuse.
On my most recent scheduled maintenance, a few days ago, I asked the service personnel if that stop-gap measure was applied to my vehicle during my last visit.
I was told that I had nothing to worry about.
I replied that a vehicle catching fire and burning down my house is clearly a concern to me, and repeated my question. Had any remedial steps been taken in the case of my specific vehicle’s trailer hitch?
He responded by telling me that fire was not an issue with the trailer hitch recall and that I was confusing it with another recall issue with the parking brake. A new issue that had just been revealed to him and that I could not have been aware of.
‘Exactly,’ I stated. I know nothing of any parking brake issue or recall, and my only concerns were of the trailer hitch issue.
Again he chided me for being confused about the different recall issues.
To which I replied that he had already proved with his debating skills that I could not be confused about something I had never heard of. I re-stated the fact that my concerns were based upon an official notice I received from the manufacturer of a vehicle he was servicing. (In other words, my car.) And further, that I simply wanted to know what, if anything, had been done about the trailer hitch.
He replied that he was trying to help me and did not appreciate me wagging my finger back and forth in front of his chest. He also reiterated the contention that my concerns were unfounded and no fires were associated with the trailer hitch recall to his knowledge. Ever. Anywhere.
I apologized for the ‘improper use of my index finger,’ but continued to defend my memory and his service department’s failure to communicate anything at all about an issue that was, as far as I knew, extremely hazardous and not at all a secret. I wanted answers to my questions, not obfuscation.
He simply handed me a form to agree to servicing the car that day, refusing to address the issue any further.
When I returned to the lobby and explained the discussion with my wife, (who had seen and read the recall notice as well), within seconds she was able to pull up several Google articles from Consumer Reports and the NTSB about the Hyundai hitch issue, (which anyone can find in a matter of seconds) and the fact that it was a known fire hazard. I took the phone back to the Service manager and pointedly showed him the articles, in front of witnesses, who once again chided me for my confusion, and assured me that google was not a reputable source for Hyundai automobile issues. He had made up his mind that I was simply an old, confused, disgruntled and disagreeable customer.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I am a huge fan of the Hunter Automotive Group, and have been for quite some time. I previously owned a Subaru and liked the company so much, we traded in the Subaru and purchased the Hyundai from them.
I have drawn a few conclusions from my experience:
Google is a better source of information about a Hyundai vehicle than the service personnel at Hunter Hyundai. Hyundai Motors is a better source of information about a Hyundai vehicle than the service personnel at Hunter Hyundai. My wife is a better source of information about a Hyundai vehicle than the service personnel at Hunter Hyundai. Even the car itself seems to know more about itself than the service personnel at Hunter Hyundai.
A very well-mannered gentleman approached us a few minutes later, claimed that he didn’t work for the company, was just having his car serviced and overheard my disagreement in the service department, and offered several explanations for why the service personnel may have misunderstood my questions. It was clear that he did work for Hunter in some capacity, which he later inadvertently admitted, but it was clear that he was simply trying to smooth our ruffled feathers and had little else to offer. Specifically, information about my trailer hitch, which was conveniently obscured by all the indignation I somehow caused.
And to answer the very first question I will be asked, ‘No, I do not know who I spoke with, nor do I know the name of the Service department manager/scheduler, or whatever he is, and I don’t care who he is, or was, because I have no interest in doing business with him. If he’s there the next time I go, I will abort my appointment and go somewhere else. It is a shame that a company with such a good reputation cannot do a better job of training its employees.