Procedural errors resulted in incorrect fuel consumption ratings for thousands of Hyundai and Kia vehicles manufactured between 2010 and 2012, with the automakers recently announcing a correction to the figures.
More than 900,000 vehicles were affected by the error, which saw the average fuel economy of models sold over the past two years overstated, The New York Times reports. Drivers had been reporting misleading numbers for months - both to the manufacturer and on public forums. Many owners even took their cars in for vehicle maintenance or had Hyundai officials come to test drive to study the problem, but little came of these preliminary studies.
Eventually the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got involved, conducting their own investigation into the issue. Their findings encouraged Hyundai/Kia to publicly address the error.
"I sincerely apologize to all affected Hyundai and Kia customers, and I regret these errors occurred," said chief technology officer of Hyundai/Kia research and development Dr. W.C. Yang. "Following up on the EPA's results, we have taken immediate action to make the necessary rating changes and process corrections."
The manufacturer is now working with the EPA to fix fuel consumption estimates, with many owners expected to receive some kind of compensation once final results are determined.