Toronto, Ontario– Hyundai has extended its factory paint warranty on seven models following widespread reports of premature peeling and bubbling–an issue that has prompted both customer complaints and legal action on both sides of the border.
The updated warranty now covers affected vehicles for up to 10 years with unlimited kilometres from the original delivery date, a significant increase from the original 3-year/60,000-kilometre coverage.
The move comes after a CBC Go Public investigation highlighted dozens of Hyundai owners across Canada who reported paint flaking off of their vehicles–some as early as two years after purchase. The report featured drivers from B.C., Ontario and Quebec who described the issue as frustrating and costly. In several cases, owners said their dealerships denied warranty coverage, despite clear evidence of failure on factory-painted panels. While some customers were offered goodwill repairs, others paid thousands out-of-pocket for full repaints.
Hyundai said the warranty extension was made in response to paint quality concerns on certain white-painted vehicles, which the company has described as relatively uncommon. The automaker noted the new warranty applies to original factory paint only and excludes vehicles with collision damage, repainted panels or salvage titles.
The updated coverage applies to the following model years and vehicles:
- 2015–2016 Elantra (AQ platform)
- 2017–2018 Elantra (AD platform)
- 2015–2019 Sonata (LFA platform)
- 2017–2018 Santa Fe Sport
- 2019 Santa Fe
- 2017–2021 Tucson
- 2021–2023 Santa Fe Hybrid
- 2020–2023 Palisade
While Hyundai has not formally recalled the affected vehicles, class-action lawsuits related to the paint issue have been filed in both the U.S. and Canada. Many complaints involve white or pearl-white paint finishes, with peeling most commonly reported on hoods, roofs, trunk lids and fenders.
