ST JOHNS, Fla. — In March, we told you about two viewers, Cody Evans and Wanda Burrow, with one common problem. They both owned Hyundai vehicles and their cars were undrivable. They contacted the Ask Anthony team for help.
"100,000 mile warranty. That sounded great. One of the biggest reasons why I bought the vehicle to begin with," Cody Evans said.
Evans bought a brand-new Hyundai Tucson after graduating from college. He says the SUV never gave him any problems, because he took good care of it.
"Four years. No issues. I kept it up for all my maintenance changes. They all said it looked fine every time," Evans added.
But one day in December, about a week before Christmas, Evans and his wife were driving down the highway when the engine began to fail.
"The car just shuts off and I have to hobble the next mile and a half. Felt very unsafe the entire time," Evans explained.
Evans had the SUV towed to a local Hyundai dealership. He had a 100,000 mile warranty on his Tucson. The SUV was currently at 96,000. He thought it was going to be repaired after speaking with his service advisor. But, he says a few weeks later, the claim was denied.
"Due to exceptional maintenance neglect after already being told there no signs of neglect. They already had my maintenance records. They already had my explanation and they had already tore apart the engine," Evans responded.
After we aired his original story on First Coast News, a Hyundai representative reached back out to Evans.
"She just stated that they just received the claim and they are going to review it again and see what they can do for it. Just kind of sitting and waiting and seeing what they have to offer," Evans said.
Hyundai denied Evans' claim for a second time. But, he didn't take "no" for an answer.
Evans filed a civil suit in St. Johns County against Hyundai. He was awarded $8,000. According to court documents, a Hyundai representative never showed up to court.
"If I hadn't had everything from step one through 100 documented, I would not have felt as confident in going through with this. If I can give advice to anyone....pursue it. Hyundai thinks that only the 1% of the 1% are going to pursue this. If you can, with full documentation and full evidence, I believe that others can get successful judgments in their behalf," Evans said.
Evans is concerned if he'll actually receive any of the money. We did contact Hyundai about this matter and we're waiting to hear back.
As Evans mentioned, if you're having this issue, it's important you document all your efforts to correct the issue with your vehicle. Keep a record of all emails, phone calls, and other documents of your interaction with the dealership.