— A Hyundai class action lawsuit has been filed for Missouri and Texas customers of 2020-2022 Hyundai Palisade SUVs at risk of fires.
Plaintiffs Dana Jaye Bal and Donald Michael Williams assert the Palisade tow hitch wiring harness modules are defective and may catch fire.
The class action lawsuit alleges Hyundai Palisade owners paid $475 to $750 for optional tow hitch and tow wiring harness module accessories necessary to operate the trailer’s turn signals and brake lights.
According to the lawsuit, the Palisade tow wiring harness modules can suffer from electrical short circuits, something that caused Hyundai to recall the vehicles in 2022.
Hyundai said debris and moisture on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board could cause an electrical short and a fire whether the Palisade was in motion or parked.
Owners were told to park outside and away from anything that could burn, and as an interim repair dealers would remove the fuses to stop power to the tow wiring harness modules.
But the Hyundai class action lawsuit alleges this merely disables the tow wiring harness modules, leaving customers without something they paid for.
In May 2023, Hyundai said it had a permanent fix for the tow module problem, but the plaintiffs who sued claim it took Hyundai too long to offer repairs. In addition, the class action alleges customers tried to schedule recall repair appointments but dealerships allegedly didn't have the necessary replacement parts.
The Hyundai class action lawsuit says Hyundai hasn't offered to compensate owners for the allegedly diminished values of their Palisades.
The plaintiffs also contend Hyundai hasn't offered to reimburse owners or lessees for any out-of-pocket expenses.
However, Hyundai said in 2022:
"Additionally, Hyundai will provide owners of affected vehicles reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred to obtain a remedy for the recall condition in accordance with the reimbursement plan submitted to NHTSA on February 24, 2022."
Plaintiff Dana Jaye Bal resides in Maryland and owns a 2020 Hyundai Palisade, and plaintiff Donald Michael Williams resides in Missouri and owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade.
The Hyundai class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Dana Jaye Bal, et al., v. Hyundai Motor America.
The plaintiffs are represented by Lemberg Law, LLC.