Hyundai has Maytag Quality!
Maytag quality…I may have made the term up, but I bet most of you know what I’m talking about. We’ve all seen the commercials with the Maytag repairman sitting around with nothing to do because Maytag’s are built to last and nobody ever needs the repairman. Have I got that right…in a nutshell, at least? that was one very fabulous idea the Maytag Marketing department cooked up all those years ago. They ought to be congratulated every now and then so…congratulations!
Recently I read an article that discussed Hyundai and while reading it I was eerily reminded of the Maytag Repairman and his lack of necessary repairs. The Hyundai spokesperson in the article mentioned that their projected costs related to their warranties were always higher than the actual costs to the company.
That’s impressive considering the Hyundai warranty: 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain; 5 years/60,000 miles bumper to bumper, etc.) the fact that they’re upholding their end of the bargain on this very thorough warranty and keeping their costs under projections led me to drift off into a strangely reminiscent day dream about the Maytag repairman not having any problems to handle due to the high quality product he specialized in. Hyundai owners all over the place are probably so relieved when they buy their car because it comes with such a great warranty, but you know what? They’re probably even more relieved when they never have to use it because nothing ever goes wrong!
There’s not a soul out there that wouldn’t agree that not needing to use your warranty at all is better than having one in the first place. And Hyundai was absolutely aware of that. They took that knowledge and didn’t just say they had a quality product with a guarantee…they actually produced a high quality product that the consumer could use and appreciate.
Hyundai’s warranty definitely sets them apart from the crowd. But it’s not the only notable focus of the Hyundai design. Hyundai also has a history of leading the pack when it comes to installing safety features. For example, in 2006 the Hyundai Sonata became the first mid size sedan to offer ESC (Electronic Stability Control) as a standard feature. (This particular safety feature decreases the probability of single vehicle crashes by 35% and the probability of single vehicle fatalities by 30%…substantial numbers).
Carving a niche for themselves in the car industry was something that Hyundai set out to do years ago and they’re still moving and shaking; adding new features and options and better designs to their line up each year. It’s a must in the industry because what the consumers want…they eventually get. Just ask Hyundai, pretty often they’re the ones giving it to them.