We wanted to replace a V-8 SUV with a more responsible and economical car for commuting to and from work. We wanted to buy new to avoid any potential problems from previous owners misuse of vehicles. The salesperson sold us on a 2011 Hyundai Accent with the 10 year - 100,000 mile warranty. The salesman assured us that we would get phenomenol gas milage on short commutes. He touted up to 45 mpg, but I knew that would not be likely as it was rated at 28mpg city - 34mpg highway. If only the actual gas milage were even close to that, we would have been happy. From the very offset, her actual gas milage was 15mpg. We were not happy and went back to the dealership within weeks of our purchase to inquire. The manager stated that it wasn't unusual and that the gas mileage would improve as the car went through a break-in period. Now, a little more than a year later, the car is now experiencing 11.9mpg and the dealership has driven 330 miles of the slightly over 1400 miles that have been driven in the car. The dealership states that the car is operating within proper perameters and there is nothing they can do.
I think that this should qualify under the lemon law. My 2003 Ford Focus with a similar 4 cylinder motor gets around 28mpg in the same commute. My 8 cylinder Chevrolet Vortec 350 ci gets comparable milage to the Hyundai.
We are at a loss now in what steps to take. We bought a brand new car to avoid having problems. We have found that there is no such luxury. Buying new offers no more protection, but only a higher cost.
What good is a warranty when they say your car is operating normally, when it is actually highly inefficient? The SUV was more comfortable, safer, and equally efficient. I hope Hyundai Motor Company will eventually stand behind their product, and gives us the fuel efficient car that we were promised.
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