Hyundai Will Pay Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Owners $10 a Day for Battery Delays
Owners whose 2016–2019 plug-in Sonata waited 60 days or more for a warranty battery can claim $10 per day, or $15 if few people file, by December 28.
Owners and lessees of 2016–2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrids who waited months for a replacement high-voltage battery can now claim cash for that time. A proposed class-action settlement pays $10 for each day a car sat waiting on the part, and Hyundai's total exposure is capped at $1.43 million.
The deal resolves Kline et al. v. Hyundai Motor America, Inc., case No. 23-cv-00245-GLS in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. Like the Ford Transit Trail settlement and its $6,000 claim, it pays out only to owners who file before the deadline.
Who qualifies and how much
The class covers anyone who owned or leased a 2016–2019 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid whose battery needed a warranty replacement that couldn't be completed within 60 days because parts weren't available. For most class members, those delays fell between late 2021 and summer 2023, according to the official settlement website. Cars later declared a total loss or given a salvage title are excluded.
The so-called Days Down Payment is calculated from Hyundai's own service records. If valid claims add up to less than $250,000, the daily rate rises to $15. At $10 a day, a car that sat for the 60-day minimum earns $600; a full year off the road is worth $3,650, or $5,475 at the higher rate.
Class counsel can ask the court for up to $375,000 in fees and costs, plus service awards of up to $7,500 for the named plaintiffs. Hyundai denies wrongdoing, attributes the repair delays to supply-chain disruptions and other factors outside its control, and agreed to settle to avoid the cost of further litigation.
Why the batteries were so hard to get
The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid was Hyundai's first plug-in hybrid. Built in Asan, South Korea, it used a 9.8-kWh lithium-ion polymer pack and was rated by the EPA at 27 miles of electric range at launch, then 28 miles after the 2018 refresh, according to Hyundai's press materials. At launch it was sold only in 10 states, mostly in the Northeast plus California and Oregon, which kept volumes small.
That small fleet is at the center of the case. The lead plaintiffs, Maryland residents Samuel and Lauren Kline, sued in February 2023 after their 2017 Sonata's battery failed in December 2021. Their car then spent more than 13 months at a dealer while they were repeatedly promised a replacement pack, according to the complaint. The lawsuit blamed the shortage on Hyundai ending the plug-in Sonata program and leaving owners without parts support.
The original complaint sought a class in eight states. The settlement now covers eligible owners nationwide and in Washington, D.C. It is far smaller than recent automaker payouts such as GM's $220 million OnStar data settlement with 36 states, but it puts a daily price on a problem that EV and plug-in owners increasingly worry about: what happens when a battery fails long after the model is gone.
Deadlines
- December 21, 2026: final approval hearing in federal court.
- December 28, 2026: claim deadline, online or postmarked by mail.
The window to opt out closed on October 29. Payments go out only after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. Owners can file at the settlement website using the claim ID from their notice, or call the administrator, Angeion Group, at 1-866-964-4271.
