In a recent development, we covered the account of an unmodified Hyundai Elantra N failing its check in California. The deficiency arose from a correction notice issued by a law enforcement officer. Upon being pulled over, the driver was informed that the vehicle exhibited excessive noise. Rectification and re-examination were mandated, and its registration was withheld until these steps were carried out. Fast forward to the day of reassessment, the state inspector indicated that even in its sport mode, the car was still deemed too noisy. Consequently, the owner, who has been sharing updates on his circumstances on Reddit, has reached a dead-end and intends to part ways with the car.
Hyundai, on its side, claims to have made efforts to assist. According to a statement to The Drive, a representative from the automaker mentioned being aware of the issue and actively cooperating with the Elantra N owner for resolution. However, as per the discussions on Reddit, under the alias OkCandidate103, the owner alleges Hyundai to be “not treating the matter seriously.” As per his account, “no concrete actions have been taken other than passing my case from one person to another.” The clip below purportedly includes a dashboard camera recording of the traffic stop leading to the suspension of the owner’s registration.
The concerning aspect here is that an unmodified Hyundai Elantra N should unquestionably clear any state examination. However, the evaluation must be conducted in the car’s standard driving mode, which allegedly was not adhered to in the California assessment, despite it being explicitly outlined in the pertinent standard, SAE J1492. Any mode that “can persist through a power on/off cycle” is suitable for the test. The Elantra N is incapable of initiating in sport or “N” mode, its most raucous configuration.
The resultant test failure has placed the owner in a somewhat Californian conundrum. While he can re-examine his car, he must furnish evidence of rectification. However, since the vehicle remains unaltered, he is unable to provide proof of any repairs since no changes were made. Allegedly after consulting with legal advisors, the owner seems to sensibly be evading the intricate operations of the Californian government. His preference is to simply contest the initial ticket received and offload the vehicle. “I will likely sell the car to Carvana at a substantial loss just to close this chapter,” he stated in the Reddit post.
We have attempted to reach out to the owner for additional remarks, but have not received any response as of publication. Correspondence with Hyundai has also gone unanswered. As some have highlighted, challenging the inspection ruling due to the alleged incorrect conduct of the test is conceivably an option. Nevertheless, this may entail an arduous and troublesome process. Opting to sell the vehicle to an entity like Carvana appears to be a simpler means to expeditiously conclude the matter, and the financial setback may not be as severe as perceived by the owner.
The takeaway from this saga? The moral is quite elusive.
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