Hyundai and Kia are having to compensate 900,000 of their US customers after claiming that many of their key models were more fuel-efficient than they actually were.
The mistake was found when the US Environmental Protection Agency, which tests all new cars to decide on their official fuel-consumption figures, noticed that the figures Hyundai and Kia were quoting were 1-2mpg out.
Hyundai and Kia blamed the mistake on a procedural error, but it’s an error that will cost the two companies millions of dollars.
Each owner of an affected vehicle will be contacted and the vehicle’s mileage recorded. Hyundai and Kia will then reimburse the owners for the amount they would have saved had the quoted figures been correct. What’s more, the two carmakers will continue to reimburse those owners as long as they have the car.
The average initial payment is estimated to amount to $88 (€69) per vehicle.