[Grifball]

This is a great post and I'm now dealing with a lemon. My scenario with the dealership has been pretty positive other than they cannot seem to fix the issue. I just opened a case with Hyundai this evening.

Have a couple of questions.
1. Anyone know how it works if you first open a case with Hyundai and if that's approved and you get a refund, can you work with the dealership to get another Santa Cruz or is Hyundai will to work with the dealership to get me a replacement? I'm guessing that Hyundai will give me a refund and I'll have to start the whole financing process over with the dealership. Minnesota Lemon law looks like they require a refund in full including taxes, delivery fees, and such. I would love to get another one of same value but don't want to have to pay any additional money.
2. What sucks is that I purchased new wheels and tires at 3K, sold my old ones on Facebook Marketplace so I no longer have them. Maybe I'll buy 4 doughnuts and put them on when I return it.

My history
I have a 2022 Santa Cruz limited that I purchased in 9/2022.
1. October 2022, I took it in for a couple of issues which got resolved except for the leaky sunroof
2. January 2022, took it in for a 2nd time on leaky sunroof, replace some stuff still leaked
3. Feb 2022, took it in for the 3rd time in which it sat at the dealership until today 3/2/2022.
4. They said they found a crimped drainage hose, picked it up and immediately went to a car wash. It actually now leaks worse than it did before.
5. Drove it back to the dealership (pretty pissed off), Sales Manager and Service Manager were immediately assisting me. They advised me to call Hyundai to get a case opened up and we can work from there.

They will refund you and then you have to buy a new vehicle, yes.

As for the wheels, yeah, that's unfortunate. I'm not sure how to handle that. I put a hitch on mine after I bought it and they told me to just include the receipt for that with the rest of my paperwork instead of paying to have it removed and invoicing them for that. Might be worth a shot asking them what they want you to do about the wheels. They might give you something for them.

 

[doeweb]

They will refund you and then you have to buy a new vehicle, yes.

As for the wheels, yeah, that's unfortunate. I'm not sure how to handle that. I put a hitch on mine after I bought it and they told me to just include the receipt for that with the rest of my paperwork instead of paying to have it removed and invoicing them for that. Might be worth a shot asking them what they want you to do about the wheels. They might give you something for them.

Good info, totally forgot about my hitch I had put on.

 

[Cruzn]

Good info, totally forgot about my hitch I had put on.

Post your tires and wheels maybe another Cruzer can make you a deal for tire wheel swap.

 

[Rcleather]

I was just told by my case manager that they will be giving a refund that they will not give a replacement. And that it takes about 6 weeks to get the refund.

 

[doeweb]

I was just told by my case manager that they will be giving a refund that they will not give a replacement. And that it takes about 6 weeks to get the refund.

Interesting that they wouldn't offer a replacement. Curious to see if you are able to recoup any of your aftermarket stuff if you have any and any car payments plus interest.

I'll post once I get something back from my case. I have aftermarket tires/wheels, dealer installed under body rust coating, trailer hitch 4 and 7 pin installed by UHaul.

 

[Rcleather]

Interesting that they wouldn't offer a replacement. Curious to see if you are able to recoup any of your aftermarket stuff if you have any and any car payments plus interest.

I'll post once I get something back from my case. I have aftermarket tires/wheels, dealer installed under body rust coating, trailer hitch 4 and 7 pin installed by UHaul.

 

[Rcleather]

I will let you know.

 

[Grifball]

Well, here we go again...I really thought we were past the crappy part of all this.

Since the buyback team reached out to me over a week ago, I have received two emails from them. One requesting all of my documentation, which I provided the same day, and another telling me that they need my signed contract.

I don't have a contract. I have a signed buyer's order. The dealership says they don't have a contract. I didn't finance through them, so all they have is the buyer's order.

Buyback case manager is unresponsive. Emails, messages, nothing back. What should have been a quick and easy process is dragging out into weeks.

I've got an email drafted to Hyundai's Director of Customer Experience ready to go out Friday morning if I don't hear anything back by then.

At this point I'm starting to think actually going through the courts and filing a lemon law case would have been the less tedious option.

 

[doeweb]

Well, here we go again...I really thought we were past the crappy part of all this.

Since the buyback team reached out to me over a week ago, I have received two emails from them. One requesting all of my documentation, which I provided the same day, and another telling me that they need my signed contract.

I don't have a contract. I have a signed buyer's order. The dealership says they don't have a contract. I didn't finance through them, so all they have is the buyer's order.

Buyback case manager is unresponsive. Emails, messages, nothing back. What should have been a quick and easy process is dragging out into weeks.

I've got an email drafted to Hyundai's Director of Customer Experience ready to go out Friday morning if I don't hear anything back by then.

At this point I'm starting to think actually going through the courts and filing a lemon law case would have been the less tedious option.

Man I feel for you, I'm several steps behind you and just got a call that mine is moving forward. I'm sure I'll be in the same boat as you since I financed it through my credit union.

 

[Grifball]

Man I feel for you, I'm several steps behind you and just got a call that mine is moving forward. I'm sure I'll be in the same boat as you since I financed it through my credit union.

If I ever hear back from the buyback team and I can find you a shortcut, I will let you know. I'm pretty ticked off sitting on my hands for a week waiting for an answer when it seems like the case manager probably just didn't realize that there won't be a signed contract if it isn't financed through Hyundai.

 

[dartgt64]

Toyota is wonderful...until you have a real problem. Frame rusted out on my 2000 Tundra. Corporate told me to go whistle. That they didn't have a problem with frame rot on Tundras. I did! I whistled up the local investigative reporter who worked on the Taco frame rust issue and also called NHTSA. I was interviewed by her on channel 5 in Boston. NHTSA called me. They asked why I was concerned? I said I walked out of a store and my spare tire was hanging from the cable as the mount rusted off the frame on a truck with only 70k miles on it and I had visions of 60lb spare tires dropping off behind Tundras all over the snow belt. First notice from NHTSA said that Tundra owners should remove their spares and put them in their beds. Think they listened to me? Since then, Toyota has swapped frames on tens of thousands of Tundras. Yeah...nothing to see there.

 

[danco]

I don't have a contract. I have a signed buyer's order. The dealership says they don't have a contract. I didn't finance through them, so all they have is the buyer's order.

Is your Buyer's Order signed by both yourself and the Dealer?
That is the contract, and is legally binding...

 

[Grifball]

Is your Buyer's Order signed by both yourself and the Dealer?
That is the contract, and is legally binding...

That is precisely what I assumed. The copy I have isn't signed by the dealership, but I'm sure I can get that from them if I keep calling them 2-3 times a day and being a pest. They told me yesterday they were going to send it, and I don't have it yet, so I guess I'll keep calling them morning and afternoon every day until I get it. Worst case, I'll make the hour long drive down there and back on Saturday and just wait in their lobby until they get it for me.


I did finally get a call back from my case manager, who was pretty salty. She told me that she was out of the office yesterday and Monday, so apparently that's why she didn't see my emails last Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. 🙄
She accused me of wanting my case to be her top priority, and it's like, hey, let's chill out for a second. You asked me for information and I gave it to you. You asked me for more and I asked you to clarify. A week ago. I'm not asking for my case to take priority, I'm just asking you what exactly you're looking for. I'm trying to get you what you asked for.
I've never heard of any customer service role outside of the government where an 7-day response time to customer communication is considered acceptable.

Long story short, it sounds like the case manager doesn't know what the heck she's asking for and is upset at me for trying to clarify. 0/10 experience.

I'm saving my draft email to Mr. Paul Imhoff and I'll be sending it once this is all wrapped up either way. I'd like him to hear directly from a customer what the customer experience is like.

 

[danco]

That is precisely what I assumed. The copy I have isn't signed by the dealership, but I'm sure I can get that from them if I keep calling them 2-3 times a day and being a pest. They told me yesterday they were going to send it, and I don't have it yet, so I guess I'll keep calling them morning and afternoon every day until I get it. Worst case, I'll make the hour long drive down there and back on Saturday and just wait in their lobby until they get it for me.

Hope you get some satisfaction soon!

Another thought: When you got your financing, did they request the Buyer's Order (called a Purchase Order or Purchase Agreement out West)? Perhaps that copy has both signatures...

In any event, best of luck!

 

[Grifball]

Hope you get some satisfaction soon!

Another thought: When you got your financing, did they request the Buyer's Order (called a Purchase Order or Purchase Agreement out West)? Perhaps that copy has both signatures...

In any event, best of luck!

They did not. I used a vehicle buyer's check from my credit union, so they worked that all out with the dealership in the background after I drove away.
I'm sure I can get a copy with both signatures on it. I may just need to drive an hour to the dealer and sit there in front of them until they give it to me.

And that will still be faster than the reply time from Hyundai anyway.

 

[Innate]

2. What sucks is that I purchased new wheels and tires at 3K, sold my old ones on Facebook Marketplace so I no longer have them. Maybe I'll buy 4 doughnuts and put them on when I return it.

Same here. Love the truck but the trans died and it took over 2 months to get it back. Used my '03 Baja in the meantime. Corp is buying my Limited back but giving me basically what I paid for it. Got tons of add-ons like wheels and tires, hitch, tint, etc. They just said take off anything that didn't come on, it if you can, before they take it back. I'm out on the wheels and tires and tint but everthing else will be up for sale as soon as it's gone.
Overall corp was a bit slow but treated me fine. Dealership is a joke, as usual and BBB was almost worthless. Guess I'm gonna drive my Baja until either it or I die. If something catches my eye in the future at least I'll have the cash stashed to get what I want. If somone comes out with a EV small PU then I'll be looking hard at something that.

 

[Grifball]

Same here. Love the truck but the trans died and it took over 2 months to get it back. Used my '03 Baja in the meantime. Corp is buying my Limited back but giving me basically what I paid for it. Got tons of add-ons like wheels and tires, hitch, tint, etc. They just said take off anything that didn't come on, it if you can, before they take it back. I'm out on the wheels and tires and tint but everthing else will be up for sale as soon as it's gone.
Overall corp was a bit slow but treated me fine. Dealership is a joke, as usual and BBB was almost worthless. Guess I'm gonna drive my Baja until either it or I die. If something catches my eye in the future at least I'll have the cash stashed to get what I want. If somone comes out with a EV small PU then I'll be looking hard at something that.

Your 03 Baja reminds me of my 03 Honda CR-V. Drove that thing 170,000 trouble-free miles. Sold it when I moved to Texas because the AC compressor exploded in 07 and was a $3k repair so I never did it. That was the last problem-free vehicle I owned (if you don't count the AC). Been through 4 vehicles since. I'm convinced they just don't make them like they used to.
My wife's 2000 Sienna is our only vehicle now, and it's also been virtually problem free as long as I've known her.

 

[Innate]

Your 03 Baja reminds me of my 03 Honda CR-V. Drove that thing 170,000 trouble-free miles.

Yep, 110K on it and you could almost eat off the engine! Only thing it blew a head gasket back in 2012. Other than that never been under the knife.

 

[doeweb]

Same here. Love the truck but the trans died and it took over 2 months to get it back. Used my '03 Baja in the meantime. Corp is buying my Limited back but giving me basically what I paid for it. Got tons of add-ons like wheels and tires, hitch, tint, etc. They just said take off anything that didn't come on, it if you can, before they take it back. I'm out on the wheels and tires and tint but everthing else will be up for sale as soon as it's gone.
Overall corp was a bit slow but treated me fine. Dealership is a joke, as usual and BBB was almost worthless. Guess I'm gonna drive my Baja until either it or I die. If something catches my eye in the future at least I'll have the cash stashed to get what I want. If somone comes out with a EV small PU then I'll be looking hard at something that.

Nice to see this posting as I get closer to my response. I have 3K in tires and wheels in which I sold the OEM already. I was going to just buy another set from someone else and take these off if I end up getting another Cruz.

 

[JMII]

Only thing it blew a head gasket back in 2012.

"only" a head gasket ...well its a Subie so such work is considered normal maintenance