Consumer complaint received 2024-04-02
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Lease
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease — Problem while selling or giving up the vehicle
Company: HYUNDAI CAPITAL AMERICA (GU)

On XX/XX/XXXX my wife and I leased the XXXX Kia XXXX from XXXX XXXX Kia XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX The total value of the Vehicle on the date was {$24000.00} with {$12000.00} paid on the date of lease. 
Before committing to the lease, we asked about the process of leasing while XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX. We were informed that we were authorized the lease and if a permanent change of station ( PCS ) comes up, we could take the car as long as a Kia dealership was available. Shortly after a XXXX, we received orders to XXXX. Upon receiving the news, we made contact with XXXX XXXX XXXX to verify we are authorized to take the vehicle which they confirmed via telephone. 
Before reaching the port in XXXX, we received a notarized authorization letter from Kia Finance on XX/XX/XXXX which is required to move a vehicle on lease. After verification from Kia Finance and the port of operations, the car was subsequently prepared and taken into possession by the shipping authority to relocate it to XXXX. 
After receiving the vehicle, it was registered and cared for as states in the lease. 
At around XXXX miles the engine ended up blowing due to mechanical malfunction common in Kia/Hyundai engines . After contacting Kia, it was determined the issue was a manufacturing problem and the new engine was covered by Kia in-full and the engine was shipped directly to a dealership here, on XXXX, to be replaced. At that point, we expressed desire to return the vehicle so it would not happen again, attempting to mitigate risk to the family. We were simply told that there was an early turn-in fee and it was left at that. 
Before the expiration of the lease, we contacted the local authorized Kia dealership of which was identified to be the return location for return of the vehicle, which they denied because it was not leased from them. At this point, we attempted to contact Kia Finance and Kia XXXX XXXX 
Once we eventually got in contact with Kia Finance and the Kia XXXX XXXX, we conveyed the message that the Kia dealership on XXXX denied our return to which they replied if they do not take it, we are responsible for shipping it back to the XXXX United States, driving it from the port to XXXX  and returning it there which was not agreed to in any conversation between XXXX XXXX Kia or Kia Finance. 
Throughout the following months, we attempted to contact Kia and XXXX XXXX many times only to be answered about 8-10 times. During those phone calls, we were told " someone [ from Kia ] messed up and should not have authorized the car to go '' as well as " this is absolutely not your fault at all '' by multiple representatives. Most importantly, we were told " Since you've constantly been attempting to contact us, you are in good standing and no repercussions will come from this. '' At that point, we felt relief that we truly were working together to get through this problem. During the phone conversations, we were informed that they sent mail to us but never updated our mailing address after we confirmed with representatives the new mailing address. Attempt to change the mailing address on file totaled nearly 8 separate occasions, which was each time we could successfully get in contact with a representative. Following these sporadic conversations when we could get a hold of Kia, we seemed to be put on a list where our phone calls were never answered. 
Whenever the caller forwarded the problem to a manager position or higher, we could never get a call back or follow-up. 
A solution was never presented to us throughout or persistent attempts to help resolve this issue besides the purchase of this vehicle we did not want to purchase or to come out-of-pocket approximately {$6000.00} dollars to ship a car and fly back to return it to a dealership which are both ludicrous " solutions. '' By this time, we are clearly being targeted by a big corporation for a mistake that they made. We did our utmost to ensure everything was in-line on transportation, use during lease, and return upon termination of lease which seemed to go swimmingly until the termination date arose. 
At this point, we have tried everything we can in our power that would be ethically sound to return this car and remain in good-standing with Kia and XXXX XXXX to no avail. We still have the vehicle and conveyed that we would keep it safe on our property until Kia can take or until a return solution is offered. We assumed that the company would be trying to solve this issue since it was an internal mistake they made and our offer to hold it until they could mitigate this issue sounded morally generous. 
Most recently, throughout our screened phone calls, awaited call-backs and unanswered emails, we have been reported to collections for this lease. Not only was it sent to collections, but it was sent to collections TWICE for the total amount of {$34000.00}, effectively tanking our credit scores nearly XXXX XXXX