Hyundai: From Exploiting Kids to Paywalling Brakes? Seriously?
So, Hyundai's at it again. First, we get hit with news about Hyundai and Kia allegedly using child labor, prison labor, and exploited immigrants in their supply chains – and now we're finding out they're paywalling freakin' brake pad changes? Give me a break. What's next, a subscription service for windshield wiper fluid?
This whole "Right to Repair" thing has been a joke from the start, hasn't it? We're promised this glorious future of electric vehicles simplifying repairs, but surprise, surprise, corporations are finding new ways to squeeze every last penny out of us.
Subscription Services: The New Car Repair Racket
The story about the Ioniq 5N owner, [SoultronicPear], trying to change their own brake pads is infuriating. This poor sap buys the $60/week NASTF subscription and a $2,000 interface tool, only to get his account suspended because he's not a "service professional"? What a load of BS. It's like buying a printer and then being charged per page you print. Oh wait, that's already a thing.
And then the fact that they had to resort to a Harbor Freight scan tool to get the job done, throwing error codes left and right... It's a metaphor for the entire modern car ownership experience, isn't it? Patchwork solutions to problems that shouldn't exist in the first place. Let's be real, the hyundai elantra and the hyundai santa fe are becoming rolling subscription services.
I mean, I get it. Companies want to make money. But this is straight-up greed, pure and simple. We're not talking about some fancy software update; we're talking about basic maintenance. What happens when your brakes fail on the highway because you didn't subscribe to the "Premium Braking Package"? Are we going to be paying for air in our tires next?
Child Labor and "High-Road Employment Standards"?
But wait, there's more! While Hyundai is busy nickel-and-diming us with software locks, they're also facing a lawsuit alleging they're using exploited labor in their supply chains. Children as young as 13, prison labor, immigrants being paid less than citizens... the whole thing sounds like something out of a Dickens novel, not the 21st century. There's a hyundai dealership near me, and I'm starting to think twice about buying a tucson hyundai after this. Labor lawsuit says O.C.-based Hyundai, Kia are exploiting children, immigrants, inmates.
And the hypocrisy! State Senator Maria Elena Durazo is right to question whether California public agencies should even be buying vehicles from a company with these kinds of labor practices. It's like saying, "Sure, we care about ethical sourcing... except when it comes to cars."
Former Hyundai employee Mark Miller's account of unsafe working conditions and lack of training is chilling. "Get on the line, figure it out, and get them consoles out the door no matter what." Sounds like a real recipe for quality and safety, right? And Rosalinda Soriano-Torres' story about being fired for getting pregnant? Seriously?
Maybe I'm missing something here. Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man yelling at clouds. But it sure seems like Hyundai is trying to see how far they can push things before people finally say enough is enough. The Hyundai Motor Group is planning on investing $86 billion in South Korea... maybe they should invest some of that into treating their workers like human beings.
Glimmers of Hope? Don't Hold Your Breath
They mention Slate and Telo as potential bright spots, but let's be honest, how many EV startups actually make it to production? It's like saying, "Don't worry, the cavalry is coming!" when you're surrounded by bandits. It's a nice thought, but I'm not holding my breath.
Offcourse the hyundai ioniq looks nice, but at what cost?
So, We're All Just ATMs Now?
Seriously, are we just walking, talking ATMs to these companies? Between the subscription services and the alleged labor exploitation, it feels like Hyundai is actively trying to become the most hated car company in America. And honestly, they're doing a pretty damn good job.