Hyundai Paint Warranty: What To Know

Hyundai claims to have America’s best warranty for a reason: it’s 5 year, 60,000 mile basic warranty and 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty makes it among the longest lasting in the entire country.

Only new Kias have the same warranty garuntee.

Does that same level of protection apply to your Hyundai’s paint? Let’s break it down.

Hyundai Has Had Issues With Paint In The Past

We did an informal office poll of our team members and found that many not only owned Hyundai vehicles but have had issues with their paint.

Common complaints included the paint fading too soon, and in some extreme cases, chipping off. These stories of course should be taken with a grain of salt, given that we are located in St.Petersburg, Florida.

The humidity and salt when combined with the intense sunlight are not good for even the strongest paint. But, as it turns out, there have been others who have experienced the same issue.

According to Class Action Reporter:

Many Hyundai owners have complained of significant body paint defects. The complaints typically detail cracks to the paint on the vehicles that progress to bubbling, peeling and, in some cases, the body paint eventually completely delaminating from the cars.  The vehicles reported to experience body paint defects are the Hyundai Elantra, Santa Fe and Sonata models.

According to the owners who have complaints about their Hyundai, repair shops often advise them that the paint, as well as the paint process used by Hyundai, was flawed.

We advise you take this report with a grain of salt because cars of all shapes and sizes have paint issues. Hyundai is not alone in that regard. However, that didn’t stop the most litigious state on the planet from trying to go after Hyundai.

California Consumers Tried To Sue Hyundai In Response To This Problem

As usual, we can always count on California to throw the kitchen sink at any incoming problem. And as expected, they did in response to Hyundai having paint issues.

According to classaction.org:

On August 21, 2017, a California federal judge dismissed a proposed class action claiming that the paint on certain Hyundai vehicles (2006-2016 Santa Fes, Sonatas and Elantras) would start to peel too soon after the cars were purchased.

Unfortunately, the suit was dismissed with predjuice, meaning it can’t be refiled.

When it comes down to it, the court simply found Hyundai’s claim that its paint would “stand the test of time,” was more puffery than promise – especially since the cars came with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. Backing this up, the dismissal notice said, was the fact that most people’s paint peeled after the warranty period had expired – and that paint shouldn’t be expected to last forever.

So, What Is The Paint Warranty?

Unfortunately, Hyundai’s paint warranty is fairly limited. Hyundai’s paint warranty covers your car for 3 years / 36,000 miles.

Unfortunately, this paint warranty does not include coverage for any surface rust, so if your paint job is starting to show rust spots, you are out of luck.

How Can I Make A Claim For My Paint?

If you have an issue with your paint, the first thing you’ll need to do is gather your basic information which will help you get your Hyundai fixed. You will need:

• Your name and address
• Your vehicle’s model and year
• Your date of purchase
• Your VIN (17 digit number found on the driver’s side dashboard)
• Your current mileage
• The dealership you bought the car from and service it at
• A brief description of what’s going wrong with your paint.

Once you have all of your information gathered, head over to your local Hyundai dealership. There, they will look at your car and assess your claim. If you have less than 3 years / 36,000 miles on your car, expect your paint to be covered.

But if you don’t…

Dealing With Bad Paint: Getting A New Paint Job

You do have options if your paint is having issues and you are out of warranty, but they could cost you.

According to Cost Helper, the cost for a single-coat synthetic enamel paint job ranges from $300 to $900, with an average of $566. A mid-level paint job with a higher-quality paint and additional prep work like removing rust and dents can range from $1,000 to $3,500 with an average of $1,316. For a high-quality paint job drivers reported spending between $2,400 and $7,500, with an average price of about $5,000.

You will have to assess whether spending this amount of money is worth it considering your issue.

If you live in a more extreme climate, like Arizona or Florida, having your car paint is more of a neccessity than a luxury. Chipped paint can allow body panels to rust.

Nothing good comes from rust.

Luckily, if your paint problems are less severe you may be able to go for a slightly less expensive solution.

Dealing With Bad Paint: Touch It Up

We’ll be honest with you, touch up paint is not going to magically make your car look good as new.

What it will do though is make any paint chips or small discolored spots look more normal, to the point where you will really have to look to notice them.

Even better, touching up your paint can also help delay any rusting to your car which is a great thing if you’re trying to keep it for as long as possible.

The good news is, it’s not all that hard to do. Watch the video above for a guide. Or, if you prefer to read, here are the steps.

Before You Begin, You’ll Need:

• A good spot sanding tool
• A variety of sandpaper grits
• A foam brush
• Professional micro applicators
• Paint syringes
• 1/4 inch artists brush
• Touch up paint (see below) and clearcoat
• Brush on rust converter
• Wax & grease remover

The Steps:

1. Get the proper paint color from your dealer. You can use your car’s VIN to ensure that you get the correct color. Don’t just say it’s “red” or “white”. Take the time to look up the specific name of your paint – because the last thing you want is a spot that looks even worse. Trust us, we’ve seen it happen.
2. A 1/2 oz vial from the dealer will repair about a dozen small dings or chips. It should set you back no more than $10-$15 bucks. A larger bottle will allow you to tackle more, and these can be had online for between $20-$40 dollars on average.
3. Before you start any of the repairs, wash your vehicle completely. Once it’s completely dry, you can begin the fix.
4. If you have flaking paint with exposed rust, pick away the loose paint with a small screwdriver or putty knife.
5. Sand off any surface rust with 150 grit sandpaper.
6. Then, switch to 600 grit sandpaper around the edges to feather the spot you aim to paint. Use the spot sander to finish off the rust in any scratches you want to paint.
7. Use a clean rag to remove any paint dust from the sanded area before you move on.
8. Apply a thin coating of the rust converter using the foam brush to the sanded area. Give it time to completely dry.
9. If you don’t have any rust, skip the above steps (minus washing your car).
10. Shake the paint vial or stir the bottle for the recommended time to ensure the metallic flakes are suspended in the touch-up paint.
11. For dents, use the artist’s brush to apply a light coat of paint to the treated area. Use several thin coats rather than a single thick one. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time between coats.
12. Lightly sand each coat with 600-grit sandpaper after it dries.
13. To repair paint chips, select a micro applicator that’s slightly smaller than the chip. Don’t use a big blob, instead use several light coats. You’ll get better results this way.
14. To repair scratches, apply the brush head to the syringe and load it with a small amount of touch up paint. Then apply light pressure to the plunger as you guide the brush head all along the scratch.
15. After the paint has dried, apply the clear coat and you’re good to go!

Has Your Hyundai Warranty Expired? Get Protected With Protect My Car

So here’s the good news: if your Hyundai warranty has expired, you can get coverage the mirrors what you had for less than $2/day. Take a look below at some of your options:

As you can see, all of our vehicle service contract plans cover major repairs to your car, much like your Hyundai Warranty. You’ll also notice that our plans pay for things your Nissan Warranty does not, including free oil changes and tire rotations.

When your Hyundai does break down, if you have a vehicle service contract we take care of the repair bill for you. It’s just like your Altima warranty. You pay a deductible (between $100-$200) and we pay the rest.

For example, if your transmission fails and you are quoted $2,900 for a repair but you have a Supreme policy with us, you would only pay $100 dollars as a deductible and then we step in and pay the rest of the repair bill for you.

A vehicle service contract with Protect My Car can cover:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Transfer Case
• Drive Axle
• Front/Rear Suspension
• Air Conditioning and Heating (you do NOT want to be without these)
• Electrical
• …and so much more.

This is in addition to free oil changes and tire rotations, plus a free rental while your car is in the shop AND your hotel and meals paid for if you are away from your house.

Not to mention the free 24/7 roadside assistance that always has your back whether you get locked out or you break down on the side of the road.

Don’t wait for your car to break down or for your transmission to fail. Fill out the form below and click the “Get Quote” button to see how easy it is to start saving thousands on your car repairs, including your transmission.

Because even though it sucks that your Hyundai is no longer under warranty, you don’t have to drive without protection. You don’t have to pay out of pocket if you don’t want to. Just click the get quote button before your car breaks down and we’ll be there when you need us.