Consumer complaint received 2026-01-30 00:00:00
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
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Product : Auto lease ( one-pay ) Company : Hyundai Motor Finance Issue : Mishandling of a one-pay lease return, failure to timely terminate the lease after surrender, and continued liability exposure while the surrendered vehicle is being used by a third party I am a California consumer filing a complaint against Hyundai Motor Finance ( HMF ) regarding the mishandling of a one-pay lease return and the continued active status of my lease account even though the vehicle was surrendered months ago, transported through Hyundais wholesale channels, and is now being used by a third party while I remain the lessee of record. 

XXXX. Parties and basic information - Consumer : Self - Vehicle : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX - VIN : XXXX - Lease type : One-pay lease serviced by Hyundai Motor Finance - Originating dealer : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, California ) XXXX. Background of the transaction and verbal no-fee agreement At the end of XX/XX/XXXX, I visited XXXX XXXX to enter into a new lease for a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and to return my existing XXXX XXXX XXXX, which was on a one-pay lease through Hyundai Motor Finance. 

The dealership affirmatively represented this as a simple exchange : - I would surrender the XXXX XXXX to the dealer. 
- A new lease on the XXXX XXXX would begin. 
- There would be no disposition fee, no early termination charge, and no additional fees of any kind in connection with turning in the XXXX XXXX. 

I explicitly told the dealership that if any additional fees or unexpected conditions applied, I would not proceed and would instead keep or retrieve my XXXX XXXX. I was assured verbally that management would take care of everything and that there would be no such fees. In reliance on those representations, I agreed to the transaction. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I physically surrendered the XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX and left the vehicle and keys with the dealer. From that date forward, I have had no possession or control over the XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX. Incomplete Vehicle Return Receipt and lack of proper lease termination After the surrender, a Vehicle Return Receipt dated XX/XX/XXXX was generated by the dealer. That document : - Reflects an odometer reading of approximately XXXX miles. 
- Identifies XXXX XXXX and a dealer representative. 
- Leaves the lessor acceptance section entirely blank, with no signature from Hyundai Motor Finance or anyone acting on its behalf. 

I did not sign that return receipt on XX/XX/XXXX, and I did not sign any separate lease return or inspection form on that date. The document appears to have been created after I left and was never properly completed on the lessor side. 

Despite the physical surrender on XX/XX/XXXX, I have not received : - Any Final Lease Statement from Hyundai Motor Finance. 
- Any written confirmation that the lease has been grounded and terminated. 
- Any clear indication of what effective return date, if any, is being used in HMFs records. 

XXXX. Dealer conduct and breakdown in communication Shortly after the transaction, I submitted a negative customer satisfaction survey regarding the delivery condition and experience with the new XXXX XXXX. In response, the salesperson at XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) sent sarcastic and unprofessional text messages complaining that my survey scores had harmed him and suggesting that my feedback was unfair. 

Although we exchanged a few follow up messages, the dealership then effectively stopped assisting me. My subsequent attempts to obtain basic information about : - The status of the XXXX XXXX lease return. 
- Whether any disposition or early termination fees would be assessed. 

were ignored or met with vague, non-committal answers. 

XXXX. Attempts to resolve through XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX or about XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) opened Case Number XXXX and assigned an Executive Case Manager named XXXX. 

Over the following weeks, I : - Provided a copy of the Vehicle Return Receipt and other requested information. 
- Repeatedly asked for confirmation of the lease status, the effective return date, and any fees. 
- Followed up after multiple promised update dates ( including XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX ). 

Despite this, I was consistently told that the lease return, any disposition or early termination fees, and even the handling of related issues were dealership level concerns outside of Corporates control. HMA would not : - Confirm that the XXXX XXXX lease would be closed without fees, as represented by the dealer. 
- Provide a clear timeline or plan for termination of the XXXX XXXX lease. 
- Take responsibility for ensuring that HMF accurately reflected the actual surrender date and circumstances in its system. 

XXXX. Certified mail notice to Hyundai Motor Finance and continued inaction Due to growing concern about my legal and financial exposure, on or about XX/XX/XXXX I sent a detailed written notice to Hyundai Motor Finance by XXXX mail to its mailing address in XXXX XXXX, California. 

In that letter, I : - Notified HMF that I had surrendered the XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. 
- Requested that my lease account be closed effective as of that date. 
- Requested written confirmation that no disposition fee and no early termination fee would be charged, consistent with how the exchange had been presented at the dealership. 

As of the date of this complaint, I have received no written response from HMF, no Final Lease Statement, and no confirmation that the account has been corrected or closed. My account continues to show as active. 

XXXX. Evidence that the vehicle has been moved and is now used by a third party Through Hyundais XXXX system, I have been able to track the location of my former XXXX XXXX after surrender. The data shows that : - The vehicle was transported from XXXX XXXX to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX area near XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. 
- It then appeared at the location of XXXX XXXX XXXX, a third-party dealership, indicating that it had moved through Hyundais wholesale or resale channels. 

More recently, BlueLink GPS data has shown a repeated pattern that is consistent with personal use by an unknown third party rather than storage in any dealer inventory : - On or about XX/XX/XXXX, the vehicle was parked at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, a high-rise commercial office tower in XXXX XXXX XXXX not a dealership or storage lot. 
- On or about XX/XX/XXXX, the vehicle was parked at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, a private residential address in a residential neighborhood. 

Taken together, this location history strongly suggests that while my lease account remains active in my name, the surrendered vehicle is being used as a daily driver by a third party commuting between an office and a private home. 

XXXX. Harm and risk to me as the consumer This situation has created several forms of harm and risk : - Ongoing liability risk : Because the lease has not been formally terminated and no Final Lease Statement has been issued, I remain concerned that I could be held liable for tickets, tolls, accidents, or other incidents involving a vehicle that I surrendered months ago and that is now being used by someone else. 
- Financial uncertainty and potential loss of value : I prepaid this lease as a one-pay customer and have fully performed my obligations. The prolonged delay in grounding and closing the account may affect the final settlement calculation and any pro rated credit that would have been available if the lease had been promptly processed as of XX/XX/XXXX. 
- Impact on my credit and debt profile : Keeping the account active for months after surrender may affect my debt profile or credit considerations, despite the fact that I no longer have the vehicle. 
- Time and emotional burden : I have spent significant time and effort communicating with the dealer, XXXX XXXX XXXX, and now HMF, attempting to obtain basic clarity and fair treatment.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation