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Hyundai and its subsidiary, Kia Motors Corp., suffered a setback in their bid to reinvent themselves as manufactures of high quality, inexpensive, and safe vehicles.
Back in 2005, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas sided with consumers who had launched a class action lawsuit against Kia, charging flaws in the brake system of its Sephia compact car. Kia sought to overturn the verdict but the court, again, has found against it. Cost levied against Kia is over $5 million. The automaker’s lawyer has immediately appealed the ruling. Our take? The Sephia was replaced by the superior Spectra back in 2002. However, since the affected models were built between 1995 through 2001, there are still many on the road today. It’s in both Korean-manufacturers best interest to resolve the issue quickly. Public memory of automotive issues is long and Kia, more than its Hyundai “parent”, is in greater danger of public perception.
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