‘Instability Issues’: Hyundai, Genesis Concealed Shake, Shudder Defect in 2021 GV-80 SUV, Class Action Claims

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A proposed class action alleges known defects that cause the 2021 Genesis GV-80 SUV to shake, shudder, vibrate and uncontrollably veer off course have been concealed by the vehicle’s manufacturers. 

The 24-page lawsuit claims Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Motor America and Genesis Motor Company have known as of June 2020 that the “high-performance,” pricey GV-80 SUV, the first-ever Genesis sport utility vehicle, suffered from instability issues yet did not correct the problem. Instead, Hyundai and Genesis, the case alleges, “plac[ed] profits over safety” and intentionally concealed, misrepresented or otherwise fraudulently failed to inform drivers that the GV-80 SUV could shake, shudder and/or veer off the roadway while driving at moderate speeds. 

According to the complaint, Hyundai and Genesis have also failed to correct the apparent defects responsible for the GV-80 vibration issues, leaving owners and lessees without the use of their vehicles for “substantial periods of time” while the cars undergo inspection and repair attempts.

“In reliance upon Hyundai/Genesis’ representations of the performance capabilities of the Genesis GV-80 SUV, consumers, such as Plaintiff, have spent over $70,000 for the purchase of and over $900 a month to lease the Genesis GV-80 SUV,” the lawsuit says. “Unfortunately, consumers, such as Plaintiff, who purchased or leased Hyundai/Genesis GV-80 SUVs, have not experienced the high performance capabilities that Hyundai/Genesis promised.” 

The plaintiff relays that she leased a 2021 Genesis GV-80 from a Towson, Maryland Hyundai dealer for $921.73 per month for 36 months. Two days after taking possession of the vehicle, the plaintiff and her husband departed for a roughly 1,100-mile trip to their home in Florida, the suit says. 

After a few hours of driving at moderate speeds, the plaintiff’s GV-80 “began to dangerously shake, shudder, vibrate and pull to the left, causing a continuous struggle to keep the SUV from veering off the road,” the lawsuit alleges. Upon taking the vehicle to a Hyundai dealer in Delray Beach, Florida, the plaintiff was advised that “there was something seriously wrong with the SUV,” the case says, with the technician speculating that the GV-80’s tires were out of balance. 

“Plaintiff, and her husband, were forced to fly back to Baltimore without her Genesis GV-80 SUV, to their great detriment, expense and inconvenience,” the complaint reads, noting that by this time “Hyundai National” had become involved in the attempts to repair the plaintiff’s vehicle. 

Although the axle of the plaintiff’s GV-80 was replaced, and despite the fact that the woman was told “the problem had been solved and the car ran great,” the shake-and-shudder issue manifested once more when the vehicle was back in Maryland, the suit alleges. When the plaintiff took the SUV back to the Towson Hyundai dealer from which it was leased, she was told the driveshaft had to be replaced, and the car was given another alignment, per the case.

The lawsuit says the issue was not addressed with these repairs. 

“Plaintiff retrieved her Genesis GV-80 SUV from Heritage Towson Hyundai dealer the same day, and despite the second alignment, the SUV continued to pull to the left,” the complaint relays. “Moreover, Plaintiff continued to experience a low but constant vibration in the steering wheel and head rest, along with shuddering while driving.” 

In total, the Towson Hyundai dealer spent 12 days working on the plaintiff’s car, and throughout the time that the plaintiff had possession of the GV-80, she went without the SUV for more than 38 days, according to the case. 

“To date, Plaintiff remains without her 2021 Genesis GV-80 SUV to her great detriment and inconvenience,” the suit says, describing the plaintiff’s experience as similar to that of a sufficient number of other GV-80 drivers to warrant a class action.

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