Through our continuing education and updates within our industry, we here at Roadway Lube Plus, have been made aware of a potentially critical issue regarding your vehicle's oil drain plug mysteriously dropping out even months after an oil change was performed.
Here is the article from the American Oil Change Association June 2021 Government Affairs Update:
Hyundai/Kia Excessive Pressure + Vibration = Dropping Drain Plugs?
It’s no coincidence that 98 out of 100 studied cases of mysteriously dropping drain plugs involve an engine that has either been recalled, is under investigation for causing fires or is the subject of a defects class action lawsuit. The Hyundai/Kia 2.0L & 2.4L Theta II, 1.8L & 2.0L Nu, and 1.6L Gamma engines are the main culprits—all of them apparently capable of producing so much pressure and vibration that a properly torqued oil drain plug can eventually loosen and fall hundreds, even thousands of miles post-service.
In 2016, AOCA submitted a joint Magnuson Moss Warranty Act complaint and defects petition to the Federal Trade Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding these same engines for their defective high-pressure tendency to balloon steel oil filter cannisters. Infamously, Hyundai/Kia tried to cover that up with a construction-grade brand oil filter requirement—a Magnuson Moss Warranty Act prohibited tie-in sale of a brand product or service. Today we realize they may have attempted a similar underside coverup by painting their drain plugs and gaskets onto their oil drain pan assemblies; i.e., to prevent the drain plugs from falling out during the first service interval despite the high potential for pan expansion/contraction and vibration, thereby delaying the discovery of underlying engine defects.
We want to assure our customers that a serious check and cross check, in addition to other procedures, are performed on every oil change that we perform. Our AOCA certified lube technicians will never use a pneumatic/power tool to tighten your oil drain plug, it is done manually using a torque wrench to the manufacturer's specified torque. With that being said, we will continue to service our customers, however, we cannot be held liable if this happens to your vehicle as this is a known issue, possibly at the manufacturer level, that is still under investigation.
October 17, 2022 UPDATE: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has decided to open an investigation into Hyundai and Kia in response to receiving a petition from the Automotive Oil Change Association.
March 14, 2023 UPDATE: According to the NHTSA website, there are no current manufacturer recalls for this issue.
