Hyundai Offers New Warranty to Boost Sales

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest auto maker, said it will offer one of the longest warranty packages in the industry to counter its reputation for poor quality and boost its U.S. sales. All 1999 Hyundai models will be covered by a five-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and a 10-year, 100,000-mile pledge on the powertrain. Hyundai, whose U.S. arm is based in Fountain Valley, extended its 24-hour roadside assistance program to five years from three. Hyundai’s U.S. sales fell 7.6% in the first eight months of the year, to 64,079 units, from the year-earlier period. The maker of inexpensive cars faces more competition because of a glut of factory-certified used cars and the entry of other Asian auto makers that aren’t saddled with a reputation for quality problems. South Korean auto maker Daewoo Motor Co. began selling its cars in the U.S. this month.