| Hyundai Quality Raises Warranty Bar Mar 7, 2007, 17:30 |
Hyundai’s rapid ascent into the top echelon of quality among car makers generates another decisive advantage for buyers today with its announcement of Australia’s first five-year / unlimited kilometre new car warranty.
Hyundai’s new warranty applies to all its ten car lines, from the Getz supermini to the class-leading Santa Fe CRDi turbo-diesel AWD SUV. Novated lease and company cars and government fleet cars are included but certain high commercial mileage cars such as with couriers, security patrols and rental fleets retain the previous 130,000 km limit.
Hyundai’s director of after sales and service, Bill Needle, said: “Our records show Hyundai warranty claims are at an all-time low. Claims have reduced 57 per cent over the last six years and the improvement is accelerating, as shown across the last two years when they’ve cascaded by 42 per cent. This confirms the extremely high quality of today’s Hyundai models which is attested to by independent quality surveys around the world ranking Hyundai ahead of all other volume brands.
“On this basis, Hyundai can make a unique promise to our customers: drive as far as you like within five years and you’re backed by Hyundai’s factory warranty.
“And unlike some competitors, our warranty is fully transferable to subsequent owners of the car, enhancing its resale value,” Mr Needle said.
In America, Hyundai is now rated the highest quality non-‘premium’ car nameplate, according to respected US consumer researcher J.D. Power and Associates’ 2006 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS), which surveys new car owners’ first 90 days ownership.
Hyundai ranked third outright in the study after Porsche and Lexus and ahead of all other Japanese and European brands among all 37 nameplates surveyed.
Hyundai owners had fewer problems with their vehicles than any other non-‘premium’ car or recreational vehicle brand. Hyundai has been steadily improving its non-‘premium’ nameplate ranking, finishing third best in 2005, up from fourth in 2004.
In top German car magazine Auto Zeitung’s 2006 “Qualitäts Report”, its latest annual survey of car owners and drivers in Germany, Hyundai was the only brand with 100 percent reliability with no breakdowns.
