In response to concerns over servicing vehicles while maintaining social distancing, Hyundai is extending U.S. warranties that expire between March and June until June 30 in order to give customers time to get service work done at dealerships that remain open for maintenance and warranty work, the company said Friday.
In addition, Hyundai dealers have implemented a series of safety protocols for no-touch vehicle handoffs, such as electronic signature authorization and repair approval through digital messages, the automaker said in a statement. Some dealers also offer home pickup and drop-off, and have increased the level of vehicle cleaning prior to delivery.
“While most Hyundai dealers are open to provide service, we want our customers to feel comfortable visiting their dealerships for warranty work and any vehicle service,” said Barry Ratzlaff, chief customer officer, Hyundai Motor America.
Across most of the U.S., vehicle maintenance has been deemed an essential service under stay-at-home orders.
Hyundai dealers are still offering online vehicle purchases, home delivery at some locations, solo test drives and eliminating other in-person interactions to make a purchase, the company said.
In the U.S., new Hyundai vehicles come with a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Hyundai is contacting customers who are eligible for the June 30 extension. Globally, the company is offering warranty extensions to more than 1.2 million eligible vehicles in 175 countries. The extensions can vary by country.
“We appreciate that many of our customers may have limited or no access to vehicle servicing during these extraordinary times,” said Wonhong Cho, head of customer experience at Hyundai Motor Co. “With these warranty extensions, we wish to set their minds at ease regarding eligibility for warranty repairs and related services in the coming months.”