Hyundai/Kia Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Vehicles Sold With Defective Fuel Systems

A class action lawsuit filed this month in a California federal court is alleging Hyundai and Kia sold vehicles with defective fuel systems, according to Top Class Actions.

Filed on Jan. 9, the class action surrounds Hyundai and Kia vehicles equipped with the T-GDI 1.6L Gamma II engine, including the 2020-2024 Hyundai Sonata and 2021-2024 Kia K5.

Plaintiffs Timothy Masters and Michelle Frank-Crowder have claimed that the companies knowingly sold vehicles with faulty fuel systems that damage the engine. Parts such as the evaporative emissions control system and the Engine Control Module were improperly manufactured, preventing gas and vapors from reaching the intake manifold, argues the suit.

The suit goes on to claim that these vapors then become trapped in the fuel system, causing a decrease in engine performance, misfires, rough idling, loss of motive power, difficulty removing the fuel cap or filling the gas tank, the smell of fuel inside the car, expansion or distortion of the fuel tank, and increased emissions.

Additionally, the plaintiffs allege distortion of the fuel tank can even cause popping sounds as well as damage to the vehicle, such as bending the vehicle’s frame.