Prior to buying my Limited, I asked my salesman to confirm the rumor that Palisade's sold in Asia (and potentially other parts of the world) have folding mirrors. My salesman confirmed that the rumor was true. I got curious and sent the below messages to Hyundai to ask why the same vehicle sold elsewhere doesn't have the folding mirror function? I also asked if there was a remedy to enable the mirrors to fold? After the second lame response (March 17), they asked me to call them. Hmm, I thought? Whenever a company asks for a call instead of replying to your written request, that probably means they DON'T want to document their response. Yep, I was right.
On March 19 I called corporate and "Jeff" in Customer Service understood my question and agreed that it deserved an official and more specific answer. He sought a response from their "Research Team." That team responded to Jeff within days w/ a one sentence response that Jeff seemed reluctant to repeat to me on the phone. The gist of what Jeff said was that they made a design decision. Huh?
A "design decision" would mean that Palisade's are incapable of folding their mirrors. That is NOT correct. We all know that Palisade's
are designed w/ folding mirrors. For reasons still unknown, Hyundai chose not to provide that function for the U.S. market. Why not? "Jeff" agreed to try and get a better answer. Yesterday "Jeff" wasn't available, but "John" in customer service took my call. There was no add'l update from Jeff's actions. John speculated that maybe folding mirrors wasn't available in America b/c it was deemed unnecessary. John suggested that my dealer's service dept. might know more about this issue? Nope, they don't!
The first Hyundai response (March 16):
Thank you for contacting Hyundai Motor America. We appreciate that you took the time to provide feedback for your 2020 Palisade.
Hyundai values your opinions and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us with your comments and suggestions regarding the design of your vehicle. We try to design and equip all of our models with materials and features that will appeal to our current and potential customers. Some of the factors that are evaluated during vehicle design and production include demand, safety, durability, efficiency, comfort, convenience and aesthetics. We are sometimes unable to produce an automobile with the features and materials that will satisfy or appeal to all of our customers.
We have documented your comments. Your case number 16907849 can be referenced if we can provide further assistance.
Thank you for contacting Hyundai Motor America.
Respectfully,
Hyundai Customer Care
(800) 633-5151
Monday-Friday 5:00 AM-7:00 PM Pacific Time
Saturday and Sunday 6:30 AM-3:00 PM Pacific Time
For open campaign information, please visit:
www.hyundaiusa.com/campaignhome
My second inquiry (March 17):
Thank you for the prompt reply, but this boilerplate response doesn’t address my complaint, or offer a solution. Palisade’s sold outside of America have folding mirrors, which means that the
design capability already exists. The unanswered question remains why isn’t that feature included w/ cars shipped to America? My Limited was built in Seoul, but lacks this mirror feature.
1. Is there any plan to provide a software of hardware upgrade to enable the mirrors to retract?
2. Why were cars destined for America denied the retractable mirror feature?
Thanks for your attention to this request.
The second Hyundai response (March 17):
Thank you for contacting Hyundai Motor America. We appreciate the opportunity to hear from our customers, but we apologize for the circumstances that prompted your need to contact us.
We are sorry to learn that you are experiencing concerns with your 2020 Palisade and would like to speak with you by phone to provide further assistance. Please contact us at your earliest convenience, so we can discuss your concerns.
When contacting us, please reference your case number 16907849.
Thank you for contacting Hyundai Motor America and being a valued member of our Hyundai Family.
Respectfully,
Hyundai Customer Care
(800) 633-5151
Monday-Friday 5:00 AM-7:00 PM Pacific Time
Saturday and Sunday 6:30 AM-3:00 PM Pacific Time
For open campaign information, please visit:
www.hyundaiusa.com/campaignhome