Hyundai Refutes Size Of Diesel Bug Issue

Hyundai Refutes Size Of Diesel Bug Issue

Diesel passenger vehicle market leader for the past 5 years Hyundai New Zealand has reacted strongly to a 3News story on Wednesday night in which motorists were warned off purchasing diesel vehicles due to the risk of fuel contamination and supposedly ‘rushed to market’ technology. As the New Zealand market leader Hyundai feels it important to provide a balanced view on this topic. ‘Diesel bug’ is not new and Hyundai has for years stood by its customers where diesel bug has been an issue.

“The issue with diesel bug is one that is purely related to the fuel supply, not vehicle technology. The fuel companies openly admit to the issue,” stated Tom Ruddenklau, Hyundai New Zealand’s National Sales Manager.

“We work closely with the fuel companies where diesel bug or dirty diesel is an issue, which over the past 5 years, has amounted to a total of 5 cases we are aware of out of 5,607 Hyundai diesels sold. In every instance we have found the fuel companies to be very helpful and co-operative in getting the issues sorted, we are unsure of other brands experiences or attitudes.”

Hyundai globally continues to pour significant investment into diesel technology. The latest R-Series diesel engine found in the Santa Fe, is a result of NZD $290 Million in R&D investment. This engine was developed over 2 years by 140 engineers working exclusively on this project and 500 prototype engines.

“To say it was rushed to market is irresponsible and clearly not factual.”

“Even though the fuel contamination issue is a fuel company issue, where it is proven that a Hyundai vehicle is at fault, Hyundai New Zealand will stand-by all Hyundai vehicles within their warranty period,” says Ruddenklau.

“As the fuel storage tanks at service stations get empty, the risk of condensation building up in the tank gets higher. Water is heavier than the fuel, so the risk of water getting into the vehicles tank when the storage tank gets low is greater. We advise for motorists to be consistent with their fuel purchasing if they can. That means purchasing their fuel from larger service outlets where the turnover of fuel is greatly higher, so the likely hood of the fuel being contaminated is much lower.”

“The fact that needs to be pointed out is that the diesel bug is not common across all makes of diesel vehicles, some manufactures are affected more than others. With less than one Hyundai a year being affected that we are aware of, the likelihood of Hyundai owners facing an issue is very low.”

Ruddenklau concluded by stating “for any Hyundai owner that is concerned about this issue, please call our customer services team on 0800 HHYUNDAI (498632) who will arrange for your car to be checked at your local Hyundai Dealership.”

ENDS

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