Poor Quality Control and Worse Customer Service
Dear Mr. Parker,
I need some help. I recently purchased a new 2025 Tucson Hybrid limited from Brandon Hyundai in Tampa FL. The vehicle is defective, has not been able to be repaired by the dealership after multiple attempts, and I request it be replaced with a like, new Tucson. Below is a brief summary and attached is a detailed, contemporaneous chronology of my experience to date (please review thoroughly). (The chronology is not attached., but I can provide as it is a "business school" case study of how not to sell cars or treat customers.)
• On August 28, 2025 I purchased the above new vehicle from Brandon Hyundai. After signing the paperwork, I discovered the “new” vehicle had 205 miles on it. (I don’t know if this is a contributing factor to the “noise” problem.)
• On August 30, 2025, I notified the dealership that the vehicle was making noise when driving.
• On September 3, September 26, and October 13, Brandon service unsuccessfully tried to fix the noise problem. (The last diagnosis was the noise was coming from the wheel well.)
• As a remedy, on October 20, the dealership offered to take my Tucson in trade and sell me a new like Tucson for $16,500. Obviously, I rejected this insulting offer/solution.
• On October 21, 2025 I contacted the Hyundai Customer Assistance Center but have not been contacted by a case manager as yet (promised 2-3 days).
• Today, I am still experiencing the noise problem.
At his point I am extremely frustrated. This is my first Hyundai and I worry that there may be a safety issue with the wheel well; plus, this is a brand new, top of the line vehicle, and I should not have to be dealing with service issues and driving hundreds of miles trying to get them repaired. (To date, I’ve put about 1000 total miles on the vehicle, 300 of which have been driving back and forth to the dealership for attempted repairs.) I’m elderly, have a bad hip, use a cane, am being treated for cancer, and am not particularly ambulatory. Trying to remedy this issue has proved quite a burden and I certainly don’t need this aggravation in my life. I like the vehicle, but can’t enjoy it because all I do when driving is listen for the noise and worry about the wheel falling off. It’s very frustrating.
Lastly, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, but shouldn’t the dealership have handled this better. Their proposal to sell me a new vehicle to replace a new defective one I had just purchased is no real solution. And, suggesting I go to another dealership for service certainly is not “standing behind one’s product”. I bought a brand new Tucson not to have these kinds of troubles. At this point I’ve lost confidence in my existing Tucson, am seeking a fair resolution, closure, peace of mind, and not having to be worrying about wheel well noise or safety issues when driving.
Thank you, let me know if you have questions, and please advise next steps. (Also, please confirm receipt of this correspondence.)
Kingsley Hallerdin
king@kingsleyhallerdin.com
203 536-6240 cell
Verified Owner
