UPDATE: 31 DAYS: ENGINE REPLACEMENT NOW FULLY COVERED, BUT STILL NO ANTICIPATED DATE FOR ITS…read moreRETURN AND NO LOANER.
On Tuesday, Day 29 without my vehicle, CMA General Manager Matt Brink informed me that CNA National had authorized coverage of the remaining engine-replacement balance that Hyundai Motor America had not agreed to cover. As a result, my engine replacement is now fully covered. I appreciate this resolution and CMA's efforts to obtain the additional coverage.
I was also informed that CMA had reserved a loaner vehicle for me that was expected to be available Thursday evening or Friday morning in Lynchburg. I responded that I was already in Northern Virginia after a family member had driven six and a half hours round trip to get me there because I had been without transportation. I requested that a comparable SUV be made available to me in Northern Virginia by noon Thursday, as I was leaving for New York and could not reasonably return to Lynchburg simply to obtain the loaner.
As of Thursday morning, at 9:20 am, I have received no response - NOT EVEN AN ACKNOWLEDEMENT OF MY EMAIL - and still do not have the loaner. I need to leave for a trip in 3 hours and have no response. Today marks 31 DAYS that CMA has had my vehicle, and I still have no anticipated date for its return and no loaner.
UPDATE: 29 DAYS AND STILL NO CAR & STILL WAITING FOR ANY INFORMATION ON MY CAR FROM HYUNDAI
ENGINE FAILURE WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING
This is my first one-star review, and I do not give that rating lightly. For nearly five months, I have worked with CMA's Hyundai of Lynchburg (CMA) regarding serious engine problems with my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The customer service has been as concerning as the engine failure itself.
My vehicle problems began in December 2025, when I paid $4,038.91 out of pocket at a trusted local repair shop to replace the turbocharger assembly and related components. When additional problems developed in March, that shop identified issues involving this type of Hyundai engine and directed me to CMA.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents recalls and investigations involving Hyundai Theta II GDI engines, including action involving more than 1.6 million Theta II-equipped vehicles. I am not claiming my vehicle was subject to those recalls.
By June, CMA documented that my engine was consuming more than two quarts of oil every 1,000 miles and had "failed internally." Service & Parts Director Mark Hall later wrote that "Hyundai's engineering team is aware of engine failures of this nature and has made improvements over time." He also confirmed that Hyundai determined "lack of maintenance or outside influence was not the cause" and attributed the failure to "part fatigue."
The customer service experience that followed was unacceptable. Calls, messages and texts went unanswered. After meeting with Mark on June 26, I emailed detailed questions and documentation requests on June 29. TWO WEEKS passed without even an acknowledgment. On July 13, I escalated the matter to Hyundai Motor America (HMA) leadership. Only after executive escalation did substantive communication begin.
During a later conversation, Olivia from HMA repeatedly instructed me not to include executive leadership on my emails because, as she stated several times, they would not read them.
I left my vehicle at CMA on July 27 for an independent third-party inspection. The inspection was completed, but I was not informed of its findings and was told only that the matter remained "under review."
During this period, I also had no dealership-provided transportation. HMA initially informed me in writing that rental reimbursement was "not guaranteed" and that any amount approved, "if any," would be determined only after I rented and paid for a vehicle myself.
Throughout this process, I have repeatedly been told my frustration is "understood" and my concerns are "documented," while I have continued pursuing answers myself. Acknowledging a customer's frustration is not the same as providing customer service.
