Blown 4.6 Engine @ 61k!

I am a first-time forum user, and my hopes are to use social media to help resolve my warranty-coverage issue.


I purchased a 2010 Genesis with the 4.6L V8, on 12/27/2012; the odometer reading was ~18,000. In 2015, my engine died, due to catastrophic failure, with slightly over 61,000 miles, and 1,500 miles after my last oil change.

My local Hyundai dealer diagnosed the engine as having broken one of the timing chains, and the cause was determined to most likely have been a faulty chain tensioner. The service manager at the dealer said it would be covered under warranty. Several weeks had past, and I had not heard from the dealer, so I called the service department, and asked to speak to the service manager; I was informed that he no longer worked there.

I was then transferred to the general manager of the dealership, who then informed me that my engine repairs were not going to be covered under warranty; no reason was given. A few weeks later I received a generic letter from Hyundai Corporation stating that, “Hyundai Corporation is unable to offer any assistance in regards to my claim.”

This came as a shock to me, as the service manager, with whom I dealt with originally, was authorized by the dealer / mfr., to validate the warranty claim, and now that he’s gone, my claim is denied?

While searching the internet, for 4.6L Genesis owners with similar issues, I found a fellow 4.6L Genesis owner whose engine suffered the same failure as mine. What I found peculiar was that he purchased his vehicle used, with 70,000 miles on it (already 10k over the Hyundai warranty), and had the motor fail at 71,500. Again, his car was 11.5k over the 60k warranty, and several years past the warranty end date. His local Hyundai dealer covered his repairs (installed a factory-rebuilt motor) without question or hassle; all he had to pay for was the labor on installing the motor.

I planned on keeping this Hyundai flagship of many years, I loved this car. I kept up on the vehicle maintenance, and as a precaution, six months before my warranty “officially” ended, I brought my car into the Hyundai dealer, and paid for a complete vehicle inspection and diagnostic; no issues were found. Six months after the vehicle inspection, my engine disintegrated, and I am quoted $11,000 for a new engine. No explanation for the denial of coverage was given.

As someone who is proactive and kept on track with vehicle maintenance, my dilemma makes no sense. I paid my dealer to perform the failure analysis on my engine; the service manager said it would be covered under warranty. How it is that Hyundai covers the repairs on another person’s vehicle that it grossly outside the warranty period in both mileage and time, and my vehicle that is shy of the mileage term by 1,500 miles is denied.

I’m grasping at straws at this point; an $11,000 repair bill is considerably higher than what my commitment should be. My Genesis is a beautiful car, it is a head-turner; it should on the road, not sitting in a parking lot.
Any suggestions on how to resolve bad-faith warranty claims or what my next form of action should be will be greatly appreciated.
08/13/16 Update: the dealer sent me a letter stating they are going to have my car towed to an impound lot if I don’t get it off their property – some customer service.