Owners of older models say their pearl-white cars are seeing the finish come off in chunks—and the complaints are now piling up Stateside, too
- Complaints of paint flaking off of older Hyundais has put a Quebec class-action back in the headlines
- The May 2023 lawsuit claimed Hyundai models painted white saw the finish fall off in huge chunks
- Hyundai isn’t the only automaker having trouble with the finish on its white cars the past few years
The lawsuit specified that the cars reportedly affected were painted “white” or “pearl white,” and assembled by Hyundai Motor Company in Alabama. A Philadelphia-based owner interviewed for the new WSMV story says her insurer told her they couldn’t help her because the problem was a “manufacturer’s defect,” caused by “something wrong with the primer.”
Hyundai has countered by naming these sorts of paint issues as uncommon, and says it has extended its paint warranty on certain models and colours to five years. “A Hyundai vehicle experiencing a manufacturing paint issue is extremely rare and has only occurred in isolated incidents,” the automaker’s Canadian arm said in an email to Driving.ca.
“To support customers with these atypical occurrences, Hyundai Canada has extended its regular 3 years/60,000 kilometers coverage on paint for certain models and colours, particularly those with white or pearl white finishes, to five (5) years with no mileage limit in some cases. Owners experiencing paint issues are advised to visit their local dealership or contact the Hyundai Help Center at 1-800-268-9958.”
Several Facebook groups run by and for owners of Hyundais with the alleged paint problems have membership totals of 1,200; 2,400; and 3,200 each; it was reported when the suit was filed last year that a Quebec-specific group numbered at least 300 members. The WSMV article chronicles the plights of owners from Tennessee to Hawaii to Colorado to Georgia, and even reports owners have complained in places as far away as Australia.
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