2015 Hyundai Genesis

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Genesis. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver's side rear door failed to open. The contact entered the vehicle and attempted to open the driver's side rear door; however the door failed to open. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed rear driver's side door handle. The contact was informed that the rear driver's side door handle and door panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 63,500.

In July 2023, the driver's side passenger door stopped opening for no reason. There was no damage nor was there an accident. Upon researching this issue, I learned that this is a common problem for the 2015 Hyundai Genesis models. It is not safe to have passengers ride in the vehicle as they could not get out in the event of a flood, fire or accident. On July 20, 2023, I contacted Hyundai Motor America and was assigned Case No. 21756483. Max, National Consumer Affairs, Hyundai Motor America, (833) 462-8722 xX65522, was assigned. On August 4, 2023, Max scheduled an appointment at Roseville Hyundai for September 29, 2023. No repairs were performed nor was a clear diagnosis made as Hyundai did not if indicate it would pay for the repairs. On October 10, 2023, Rae, a service employee from the dealership, left a voicemail that due to the age of the vehicle and miles outside the warranty, Hyundai would not assume responsibility for the repair. A consumer of a vehicle has a reasonable expectation that all four car doors will open and close for many years. Due to the cost and supply issues, consumers are keeping their cars longer. We have owned many vehicles and even three Hyundai vehicles at the time of this incident, and not once did a door cease to open. I am seeking assistance from Hyundai repair this safety issue.

The left rear passenger door does not open from inside or outside. I have looked online and see that this or similar problems affect many Genesis sedans as well as other Hyundai vehicles. We needed to seat two young children in the back seat and realized how dangerous it is if something happens and the car door can't be opened from inside or outside. How would rescue teams extract the passenger? How could the passenger extract him/herself? Many people reported paying a lot of money to the dealership to repair this problem. I believe this is a safety hazard that the company should be responsible for. This problem began recently, with no warning. The key fob does not open the door either.

I was attempting to open the rear door to help my child exit the car when the exterior door handle broke off in my hand leaving me unable to open the door. Luckily there was no emergency and I was able to use another door. I was told this is a common problem with these door handles and feel it could create an entrapment issue under the worst circumstances.

The rear passenger door will not open from inside or from outside of the vehicle. The door lock mechanism has failed internally while the door was shut. This causes a safety issue as passengers are not able to exit the vehicle in an emergency event. Worse, a child car seat is not able to be accessed as the door will not open. There are not warning lights in the vehicle to alert you that the door lock/handle mechanism has failed. Hyundai/Genesis will not repair the defective components under warranty, as they consider it a wear item. As the door will not open it is extremely difficult to repair this issue. The door panel has to be cut off which renders it destroyed. The door lock/latch mechanism has failed at 60000 miles and with a vehicle that is 6 years old. This is a huge safety issue as people will become trapped in a crash, which can lead to injury and loss of life.