Hyundai and Kia overstated the estimated fuel economy on more than 900,000 U.S. vehicles sold over the past two years and will compensate owners for the faulty claims, the companies said today.
The South Korean partners will also lower the fuel-economy estimates on most of their 2012 and 2013 models, the companies said in a joint statement. The move follows an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which found discrepancies between its own test results and company figures.
The mileage on most Hyundai and Kia labels will be reduced by one to two miles per gallon, with the largest adjustment being a six mpg highway reduction for the Kia Soul.
"I sincerely apologize to all affected Hyundai and Kia customers, and I regret these errors occurred," W.C. Yang, chief technology officer of Hyundai/Kia research and development, said in the statement. "Following up on the EPA's audit results, we have taken immediate action to make the necessary rating changes and process corrections."
Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik attributed the problem to "procedural errors" in the automaker's own testing, The Detroit News reported earlier today. He said Hyundai has identified the source of discrepancies between its testing method and the EPA's recommended approach.