12 hours of travel to fix your car: Madelinots are angry

Once in the islands, she tries to check out her 2019 Kona, which is still under warranty. But she discovers that Hyundai no longer has a service point in the islands. Line Leblanc then contacted the manufacturer’s customer service department. I called Hyundai Canada to tell me that to get my car fixed I would have to go to Prince Edward Island at my expenseMadelinienne explains, upset about the situation.

Line Leblanc, resident of the Magdalen Islands and owner of a Hyundai.

Photo: Radio Canada

In fact, the nearest Hyundai dealership is in Charlottetown, 5 hours away by ferry and 1 hour by car one way.

Due to boat schedules, with some exceptions, it is impossible to repair and return the craft on the same day. In the best case scenario, the return is the next day. Therefore, it is necessary to provide for accommodation and meals. In addition, in the event of a storm, departure is postponed.

For Line Leblanc, there is no question of undertaking such a journey. I can’t leave like this. Besides, I will never be able to explain my problem. I do not speak Englishas you say.

For now, she asks for her guarantee to be honored without having to pay anything. In the absence of change, she intends to get rid of her car. I love him myself. But if it goes on like this, I’ll go to Montreal, and then I’ll sell the car. I have no choice. You can’t keep a Hyundai without a serviceMadelinienne said.

Line LaFrancée, Ile de la Madeleine resident and owner of a recall Hyundai

Photo: Radio Canada

Line LaFrancis and her husband, Steve Torbide, also own a Hyundai. When these Madelenots learn their 2021 Santa Fe is undergoing a recall, they resign themselves to making the big crossover. But instead of going to Prince Edward Island, they chose a Hyundai dealership in Matane to be served in French and because they had family in the area who could accommodate them.

Their journey takes about ten hours, and their journey spans ten days because they have to wait for part of it. According to the couple, the costs of this forced trip are about $1,300. But then it is impossible to get a refund.

Line Lafrance is unhappy, especially since their car was bought on the islands before the Hyundai point of sale closed. What bothers me about this is that you are buying a car with a warranty. We had a dealer here who did all of that. We had peace of mind. Then had to pay to go somewhere else, which I find shocking, you tell us. In the face of a large company like Hyundai, Line Lafrance says it feels like it Like a small drop of water in the ocean.

Sarah Martinet, resident of the Île de la Madeleine and owner of a Hyundai

Photo: Radio Canada

Sarah Martinet is the proud owner of the Hyundai Sonata. All is going well until his car is subject to a safety call. Hyundai Canada customer service told her the same thing, that she had to go to Prince Edward Island for the recall.

For Sarah Martinet, that doesn’t make much sense. She refuses to leave the islands to get her car fixed, due to the costs. She goes to her local mechanic, who can’t do anything due to a lack of parts and an authorization from Hyundai.

Like many of the other Madelinots, she feels trapped and asks Hyundai Canada to take action. I want to get a service. Just because you are an islander and live in the Magdalen Islands doesn’t mean you can’t be served by a big company like HyundaiSarah Martinet argues.

The brand she adored has lost its luster. I’m not even thinking of buying a Hyundai, that’s for sure. Even if I leave the islands, I think it’s over for me because the trust I haveSarah Martinet adds.

Motorists’ rights – Hyundai’s obligations

Hyundai already has sales and service outlets in the Magdalen Islands. But, since last year, that is no longer the case. The result: hundreds of clients are orphaned. In fact, more than 800 Hyundai cars are in circulation on the islands, including those of Line Leblanc, Line Lafrance and Sara Martinet.

Attorney Hubert Lamontagne, legal advisor to the Motorists Protection Association (APA), understands all too well the grumbling of these Madelenots. To him, it doesn’t make sense to ask Hyundai owners from the Magdalen Islands to go to PEI to get their cars fixed. It’s the equivalent of asking a Montrealer to go to Toronto to make an encore. Do we accept that? I do not think soHe said.

For him, it is clear that Hyundai Canada has obligations to:

• Hyundai owners who bought their cars in the islands and are still under warranty;
• Owners of recalled Hyundai vehicles, regardless of place of purchase.

According to the APA, if it does not provide after-sales service in the Magdalen Islands, Hyundai must provide pick-up at Cap-aux-Meules wharf, where the ferry departs, provide a vehicle replacement to customers and return the vehicle to them. The consumer does not have to take the statement to implement a traditional recall or warrantyspecifies Me Hubert Lamontagne of the APA.

The ferry provides a connection to Prince Edward Island, which is over five hours away.

Photo: Radio Canada

Hyundai is actively seeking a solution

Hyundai Canada declined our request for an on camera interview. In writing, the company says it’s actively working to find a solution that meets its standards. We are optimistic that Hyundai customers in the Magdalen Islands will once again have access to a local service point in the coming weeks.Let us know the manufacturer in their advertisement.

Hyundai Canada is also committed to compensating its Madelinot customers:

• who had to leave the islands to summon or benefit from their surety;
• who paid out of their own pocket to cover the work under the surety they did in the islands.

An agreement with a mechanic from the Magdalen Islands will be announced shortly.