David versus corporate goliath ?

Hyundai Motors Corp.

Dear Managers,

Thank you for your latest attempt to communicate with us on Friday, Sept. 24, 2015. While we do appreciate the effort, in colloquial parlance, that ship has already sailed. After much Internet research, we determined that the faulty fuel gauge, and its expensive remedy, are widespread problems in the Sant Fe models sold in the years 2007-2013.

Though puzzled by Hyundai’s failure to even acknowledge this situation or offer a remedy when you are clearly aware, through the casual perusal of dealer maintenance logs, we accept that your corporate policy is to stonewall the issue and throw your customers under the bus. With that in mind, we arranged for the expensive repair, of the defective system, at our own expense.

Fighting a David and Goliath battle with a worldwide corporation of your size is of course a fool’s errand for any one individual. Rather, we have decided not to” go away mad,” but just to go away and make our next year’s purchase from one of your competitors. Similar to your corporate decision, we have decided that the investment of $35,000 in a new vehicle that may or may not work, built by a corporation that may or not stand behind its products and faced with a vehicle operating and maintenance budget that potentially could expand incrementally, is not a wise financial decision for us as a family. We will look to your competitors for a new vehicle next year.

In the interests of our personal concern, for the well being of friends and family, we will also advise with great specificity the rationale for our decision with the families of our remaining 12 siblings, seventy, first cousins and the usual coterie of friends, colleagues and acquaintances that exist in the dynamic pyramid of relationships that anyone, with even a modest business school education, is aware of.  We would not want to see them experience the expense and annoyance that we have had with Hyundai ownership.

We wish continued corporate health to the bean counters that make such decisions. And we also wish them a Chinese Blessing. “May you live in interesting times ahead.”

Sincerely,

Joseph Xavier Martin

Former Hyundai customer.

P.S. In the interests of fairness, I have to mention that Hyundai Inc. did make another recall on this vehicle, for a leaky oil gasket that was ruining alternators. The Hyundai dealership fixed this problem at no charge to me.