In August 2023, I took out a four-year lease on a Hyundai Tucson. I paid £3,600 as a deposit, then £398 monthly. In May this year, I experienced two seizures and have now been diagnosed with epilepsy. As a result, I have had to surrender my driving licence for at least 12 months.
When I first phoned Hyundai Finance I was told that I should be able to avoid the full termination fee if I sent in the required medical evidence, which I did.
As a result, the early termination fee has been reduced from £8,831 to £6,308, but this means that the car will have cost me about £13,500 for my use of it in the past 10 months.
My diagnosis has been very hard to come to terms with, having huge implications for my professional and personal life (I am a GP), and this makes it all even worse.
JB, Scotland
I asked Hyundai about your case, and after a bit of unnecessary back and forth, the company has had a change of heart and released you from the lease, fee free.
It has also let you off last month’s missed payment and offered you £200 for misleading you on the phone. This is a generous offer from Hyundai Finance, and you are very pleased with the outcome.
One of the problems of signing up to lease a car over such a long period is that you are committing to the payments, not knowing what the future holds.
I’m constantly amazed at how many people are willing to hand over such large deposits and commit to such payments. It’s a cheapish way to get an expensive new car but, as your case shows, it is not without its risks.
We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at [email protected] or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.
