Consumer complaint received 2023-01-16
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Lease
Issue: Problems at the end of the loan or lease — Termination fees or other problem when ending the lease early
Company: HYUNDAI CAPITAL AMERICA (FL)

I leased a XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX through Hyundai Capital. As a consumer, I have the option to buy out my lease during my lease term ; this amount should be roughly equal to the residual amount of the vehicle plus the payments that I still owe and whatever their dictated purchase fee is ( I believe it was {$400.00} on my lease ). I leased this car knowing I was able to exercise my right to buy this car. 

As of XX/XX/XXXX, the provided quote from Hyundai Capital to purchase this car was {$13000.00}. This is the amount that if I were to pay them on that date, the car would be fully mine. It would make them whole because it would satisfy our agreed upon value of the vehicle accounting for all of the payments I have made over the last 2 years. When we both signed the lease, we agreed that the value of the vehicle plus all fees was {$21000.00}. I put a down payment down of {$4100.00} and have been making monthly payments towards this car every single month since - over the last 2 years. I have paid over {$10000.00} towards this vehicle ; again, this was fully with the understanding that these payments would apply towards my lease balance. Therefore, it made sense that my buyout quote of {$13000.00} would fully satisfy any obligation I owed to Hyundai Capital for the car. 

Unfortunately, the car was involved in a total loss incident in XXXX. My insurance company, XXXX, was going to cut a check to Hyundai Capital for the remaining balance I owed them. As of XX/XX/XXXX, I owed them {$13000.00}. Somehow, on XX/XX/XXXX - 3 days later - Hyundai Capital sent a letter to XXXX saying the required proceeds for the vehicle was {$19000.00}! There was a difference in the proceeds owed of {$6600.00} over the course of 3 days. The $ XXXX I paid suddenly meant nothing. If I had any idea they would try to take advantage of the accident, I would have paid Hyundai Capital the {$13000.00} myself on XX/XX/XXXX! 

I intended on keeping this car if it had not been involved in the accident. The accident was a very unfortunate circumstance and this just added extra stress on top of it. I fully believed XXXX was going to pay XXXX the {$13000.00} and that the remainder of the settlement would go to me, the consumer. The amount that I put down when I had to purchase a new vehicle was fully with that number in mind ; I never imagined Hyundai Capital would try to take advantage of the situation and throw out a number that was {$5000.00} greater than my buyout quote simply because the vehicle was involved in a loss. Again, the $ XXXX that I put into this car during our contract completely vanished. 

Hyundai Capital may say that - buried in the footnotes of my lease agreement- they are entitled to all insurance proceeds for physical damage to the vehicle ; that the amount I actually owe under this lease doesnt mean anything. However, I am trying to understand how this isnt just a money grab by a greedy corporation. Why do they all of a sudden need {$19000.00}? Are they not just trying to take advantage of an insurance claim? If I knew this would happen, I would have paid them directly and they wouldnt be any the wiser that physical damage had even occurred to the vehicle. I had NO IDEA that - because the check was coming from XXXX - that the amount owed would suddenly be different. I am the one that had to purchase a new vehicle in order to replace the one that I had. All of my equity I had in this vehicle was suddenly gone. 

Ultimately, I feel like Hyundai Capital stole {$6600.00} from me. This represents a complete lack of transparency to the consumer and is - quite frankly - extremely predatory.