Bunch of bullies

I test-drove a vehicle (Chevrolet Sonic RS) in February this year at Hyundai Plumstead. I was happy with the vehicle and decided to trade in my Polo and purchase the Sonic. Went through the whole process and collected the vehicle on the 15th Feb.

2 Weeks in and there was an issue with the gearbox. I contacted the dealership and was told to bring it in for a test. The Workshop manager took it for a test and told me it was the clutch. Cool, so we booked it in and it took 4 days for them to replace the clutch. Mind you, they did not offer me a courtesy vehicle, I had to sort myself out.

I got the vehicle back after 4 days which was a Saturday afternoon. Driving it home I could feel there was an improvement but the issue was not fixed. I decided to give it some time, thinking things just need to set. The very next day I took a drive to test everything. 5 minutes into the drive, the car loses power and an error code pops up on the dash. I stopped the car, switched it off and on again and the code went away. I kept driving but could feel that something was wrong.

I took pics of the code, sent it to the dealer, and explained what had happened. I also did my own research on the error and found out that it was the turbo not boosting. I was told to bring the vehicle in, which I did. I even informed them that it was the turbo. I was told they would need to assess first… 2 weeks go by and they tell me it’s the turbo (right?) Even after me telling them it was the turbo. They then proceeded to take another week to fix the turbo issue. And get this, again they did not offer me a courtesy car. I had to sort myself out. The vehicle was there for 3 weeks!

Between taking ownership of the vehicle and getting back from the turbo repair, I also informed them that there was a really loud rattling noise on startup. On fixing the turbo, I was told that they could not identify the sound. I was told it could be the starter. Fine, I was told to take it to a mechanic in the area who ended up refurbishing the starter. Turns out, it wasn’t the starter as the noise was still there.

The Sales manager tells me to take the vehicle to Tonnesens to check the exhaust. The day I needed to go to Tonnesens, I pulled the vehicle out of the garage, let it idle a bit then switched it off. Go inside and come back to the vehicle to leave, only for it to not start. Tried multiple times. I contacted the dealer and they said it’s the battery and that I must have left something on. This car does not allow you to leave anything on or open without it making a really loud annoying beep. I eventually had to push start it and drove straight to the dealership. I got there, switched it off, and tried to start it, but no luck. They replaced the battery and off to Tonnesens I go. Get there and they tell me it’s not the exhaust. So no luck there.

I leave it at that and go home. A few weeks later, I noticed oil marks on the paving in the garage. I checked under the vehicle and found that it had an old leak that was not there before. Again, I contacted the dealership and was told to bring it in. Another trip to the workshop, again no courtesy car provided. That repair took a few days as well. During this repair and the turbo repair, I kept bringing up the gearbox issue, and every time I was told that there was no fault. I kept asking them to fix it and they kept refusing, telling me that it was working according to the vehicle standards (as if they drive the damn thing every day) So by now I am ****ed, not even 4 months in and this car has all these issues. I then told them I no longer wanted it and that I wanted to return it and cancel the deal. These ****ers tell me that I must trade the car in and that I will be held liable for the shortfall. Excuse my language from here on out.

I must trade it in??? I must ****ing trade this piece of *** in that they sold me? So this is where I told them I would be taking it further. They probably thought I was going to leave it at that… No!, I went straight to the Motor Industry Ombudsman and made a case. Provided all the information I had gathered, even took the car to have the gearbox tested, and got a quote to have it stripped and checked further. I also did a diagnostics test and found a few issues. Sent all this info to the ombudsman. The case took 3 months, yes 3 whole months to conclude. In that time, I was forced to drive that POS vehicle and deal with all the issues. It also started leaking coolant, so every 3 days I was topping it up. Mind you, I have to drive 70kms a day and had to deal with a ****ty gearbox, boosting issues, and a coolant leak. Oh, they also damaged the ambient sensor when they took the bumper off so that was not working.

So I ended up winning the case, yaaaaaaay, or so I thought. Here is where I got to the point where I wanted to punch people’s faces in (with a brick) Yes because that is how angry and frustrated I am. The ruling was for Hyundai to collect the vehicle from me and settle with the bank. The bank then pays me back every installment that I paid for the past 7 months. Sounds good right? No! Hyundai is allowed to charge me a usage fee because I have been using the vehicle for the past 7 months (technically 6 because they had it in their workshop for over a month in total) A week after Hyundai collected the vehicle from me, they email me with the usage letter and this is what it says (not the full letter)

2. According to the MIOSA’s finding, Hyundai Diep River is required to take your vehicle back into its stock and refund the purchase price paid for the vehicle.

3. We reiterate, as stated in the Finding Letter, that Hyundai Diep River will only be liable for the actual price paid for the vehicle and will further be entitled to deduct any usage costs as well as any costs necessary for the restoration of the vehicle.

4. In light of the above, the total amount that Hyundai Diep River is entitled to deduct from the purchase price of R179,169.85 is the amount of R41,513.84, broken down as follows:

4.1. The amount of R28,032.32 for the costs of your usage of the vehicle over a period of 7 months, calculated from 15 February 2023 to 15 September 2023

4.2. The amount of R3,277.50 for the cost of repairing three damaged rims on the vehicle; and

4.3. The amount of R10,204.02 for replacing the vehicle’s broken original key.

So R28k just for using it, even though I didn’t want to, but you know, I have responsibilities and a job to get to.

R3200 to fix 3 rims that they say I damaged. Now anyone that knows me, knows I look after my things, all my things. I even have pics to prove the wheels were in that condition when I bought the vehicle.

R10k to replace a key? So here is there thing, I know that it broke while I had it. But, the key was in poor condition when they gave it to me and lasted less than 2 months. I ended up using the spare key all this time. The funny thing is, you can replace the housing for less than R500 (so you see where I am going with this)

So I was sold a defective vehicle and forced to drive it like that because Hyundai Plumstead did not want to fix the issues or cancel the deal. They are more concerned about their profit than anything else which Is very evident in their letter to me. This is called being spiteful. This is showing everyone how petty they are and that they are just a bunch of bullies. This is not the first time that I have had an issue with this exact same dealership. New staff but the same old *** ways.

The sales manager there is very full of himself, quick with his mouth, and likes to talk his way out of things with empty promises, lies, and Bull****. Then there is the Dealer Principal who sits behind his desk thinking he is all high and mighty. I have worked in the customer sales and support industry for a very long time now and I know exactly how to ‘not’ treat a client/customer. These guys tick all those boxes. The only person I really appreciate at the branch is the sales guy who assisted me. The only decent human there and I will gladly deal with him again.

Today I went into the dealer because I am not getting any responses to my emails. I was told by the dealer principal to leave the premises. Yes that's right, I was treated like a nobody yet again.

I do apologise for the very long post, but I need everyone to know what to expect when doing business with Hyundai Plumstead. I have come to learn that this branch has a very poor reputation. Stay clear from them no matter how good the deal looks. If peace of mind is what you are looking for, you won’t find it there.