I did not know Hyundai made cars with power.



LOS ANGELES -- Hyundai Motor America will pay owners about $30 million in compensation because it overstated horsepower figures on its vehicles for more than a decade.

The compensation comes in the form of debit cards and dealership service vouchers, according to a court settlement reached last week.

About 858,000 Hyundai owners were eligible to take part in the class-action lawsuit, which was settled last week in Orange County (Calif.) Superior Court. A customer can choose either a same-as-cash debit card worth from $50 to $225, or a debit card worth as much as $325 in parts and service at Hyundai dealerships.

Hyundai overstated the ratings on about 1.3 million vehicles from the 1992 to 2003 model years. Ratings on some six-cylinder models were off by as much as 20 hp. Only owners of cars with horsepower overstated by more than 2.5 percent are included in the settlement. More than 400,000 units had horsepower numbers overstated by more than 4 percent.

"It's a very competitive market," Girard says. "People shop for cars online with vehicle comparators on Web sites to see how cars stack up. Every little edge can help in a situation like that. Hyundai was in the wrong, and they should pay dearly for that."

One Hyundai owner who wanted nothing to do with the settlement was Gary Thompson of Solana Beach, Calif., who drives a 2000 Elantra. He considers the difference between the 136 hp of his car and the 140 hp cited by Hyundai literature to be inconsequential.

 

How did anyone know they were? Or did some insider info come out?