A user on TikTok is calling out Hyundai after paint began peeling from her car—and she began to notice it happening to other Hyundai vehicles as well.
Recent news has not been good for Hyundai. Earlier this month, a TikTok user revealed why he believes Kia and Hyundai engines are prone to failure. Other experts have echoed worries about engine issues, and one Hyundai driver even claimed that their brakes caught fire while using the car.
Now, TikTok user Kayla Collins (@kayla_collins3) alleges that she began to notice paint wearing away on her recently-made Hyundai and that other vehicles of the same model are showing comparable wear.
In a video posted to her TikTok account, Collins says she has a “2019 Santa Fe with peeling paint all over it.”
She then shows the car, which does show signs of significant paint peeling.
“You guys won’t do anything about it,” she says, addressing the video to Hyundai. “You have acknowledged that there is a paint problem, yet you won’t fix it.”
Collins then says that, while she was shopping, she noticed another car of the same make. Looking at the car’s hood, she discovered that it, too, had significant paint peeling problems.
As the video continues, Collins seems to imply that Hyundai had previously offered her a $200 gift card to get her car repainted. This, she says, is not enough.
“This is happening all over it, and your customer service has been bull crap,” she states. “Do better.”
Paint peeling is a known problem with certain Hyundai models. As Hyundai notes on its website, “Certain Elantra, Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles may exhibit peeling or bubbling of the white paint in various areas of the vehicle, most commonly on or around the hood, fender and roof.”
However, some reports say this only affects models made until 2018. Collins’ own experience and the experience of others would suggest otherwise.
There is currently a Facebook group on the topic with over 2,000 members. In the group, many claim to have experienced the issue with their 2019 models. Some state that they’ve been able to get the repainting covered even out of warranty, while others allege that they’ve had issues doing so.
In Collins’ case, she says that her dealership is insisting that she is “outside of warranty despite this being a recall not warranty issue,” per a comment left under her video.
@kayla_collins3 @Hyundai USA used to be the only cars my family and I would buy. After this experience, we are done with them. Even your employees thinj this is ridiculous. Its not a warranty issue, its a WHITE PAINT RECALL! @BetterBusinessBureau please help! #singlemom #hyundaipaintpeeling #fyp #foryoupage #recall ♬ original sound – kayla
In the comments section, users shared their own complaints about Hyundai vehicles.
“Never ever!!! Buy any Kia or Hyundai product! NEVER!” declared a commenter.
“This is happening to my 23 Tucson and they denied warranty,” alleged another. “I literally got it less than 6 months ago.”
“Maybe a lawsuit would motivate them,” offered a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Hyundai via email and Collins via TikTok comment.
Update 9:41am CT May 16: In a TikTok direct message exchange with the Daily Dot, Collins offered further insight into her situation.
“My car began peeling paint a year ago. I have reached out to Hyundai multiple times for them to assess the issue as it wasn’t from a rock hitting the car and chipping paint,” she explained. “When I first called I was told that my warranty had expired and didn’t qualify for a repair. I then found where Hyundai had issued an extended warranty for white paint peeling and included the same year as my vehicle.”
“When I followed back up with Hyundai, they acted surprised that I had found out about the extended warranty and admitted to me that my paint peeling was in fact a manufacturer issue,” she continued. “However, they denied fixing it because of the limitations and parameters they have placed around the extended warranty-I had fallen outside of those. I was given a $200 gift card for a $1600 quote (only including current damages). The adjuster did share that my entire vehicle would need to be repainted because they know it just continues to happen until the entire car is repainted-this would be extremely costly to me.”
Collins says that through conversation with others, she’s learned that this is a common issue.
“This man worked for the dealership and openly admitted to me that thousands of customers are upset, experiencing the same issue,” she detailed. “Hyundai is skirting by with this ‘extended warranty.’ A class action lawsuit was filed in Canada on May 1, 2023 for the exact issue.”
“I am a single foster/adoptive mom who bought this vehicle with the intention of taking care of children and now I have been left to pay out of pocket to repaint my entire vehicle,” she added. “I am continuing to push Hyundai to do the right thing by their customers. I am blown away by the responses and similar stories people are sharing on TikTok. Honda and Toyota also had an issue with white paint and have taken care of their customers. Sadly, Hyundai cannot say the same thing.”
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