I honestly don’t even know where to begin with my family’s experience at Bert Ogden Hyundai Harlingen. We purchased a brand-new 2023 Tucson XRT, believing a new vehicle would mean peace of mind. Unfortunately, we couldn’t have been more wrong.
At just 3,000 miles, the car shut off on the highway, leaving me to push it to the nearest gas station. It was towed to Hyundai, but I was told it wouldn’t even be looked at for 7–10 business days. The issue turned out to be a cylinder misfire—something that should never happen on a new vehicle. There were no loaners available until the car was “inspected to make sure we didn’t cause it.” After about two weeks, we got it back and were told it shouldn’t happen again.
Fast forward to 15,000 miles, and the same issue happened again—another cylinder misfire. Once again, no loaners, no clear answers, and the same runaround from the service department. We were told, again, that it “shouldn’t happen anymore.”
Then at 26,000 miles, it shut off on the expressway—for the third time. That was the last straw. I removed everything from the car before the wrecker came because I knew what was coming. Both times I took time off work to pick it up after being told it was “fixed,” and both times the check engine light came right back on before I even made it home.
We then contacted Sue from Hyundai Support to begin a buyback process, hoping for some kind of resolution. Instead, we were met with more delays and miscommunication. It took weeks just to get the necessary invoices submitted—only to find out the service department had sent in invoices for an entirely different person and vehicle. After over a month and a half, our claim was denied twice, and no one would even explain why.
Now we’re stuck with an unreliable vehicle that even required an engineer to come and attempt a fix. At this point, we have no idea what parts were replaced or what was actually done to the car.
All we wanted was a safe, dependable vehicle for our family and our little one—instead, we’ve had nothing but stress, inconvenience, and complete disappointment from both Bert Ogden Hyundai Harlingen and Hyundai corporate support.
DE
diana elizalde
Oct 9, 2025
With a neutral perspective, I am taking the time to share my experience with your dealership, or rather, with your staff as a whole. A few years ago, I purchased a Hyundai Kona. My salesperson was excellent, and up to that point, my experience was five stars. Last week, the rear tire of my vehicle was punctured by a nail. I had purchased tire insurance, so I went to Tipton Hyundai in Brownsville. They requested documentation for the tire insurance. Contacting their staff turned into a marathon of calls and waiting for hours to be connected with someone from the finance department. Finally, Mr. Eric Rentería sent me a copy of the tire insurance.
Unfortunately, the insurance company stated that the claim had to be processed at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. I called Bert Ogden, and they ordered the tire yesterday, supposedly through their parts department. I was then transferred to Bianca Caraveo, and I asked about the insurance. She confirmed there would be no charge as long as I arrived before 10:00 a.m.
I arrived today, October 8, 2025, at 9:46 a.m. and was attended to. At 10:28 a.m., I received a text from Bianca. I assumed that, as she mentioned the day before that I would not have to pay, she had already coordinated with the insurance, she then said she would check with the insurance, which would take time. Bianca later told me the insurance would not pay for the tire and that she would escalate the matter, estimating it would take about two hours. By 12:00 p.m., no one knew what was happening. Bianca had gone to lunch without updating me (there were no other customers in the waiting area). At 1:00 p.m., I approached a manager, Mr. Puga, who, along with Mr. Marcos Cardona, went to the service area to check. Bianca returned but did not explain the situation to me.
At 2:00 p.m., I told them: "Mr. Puga, I want my keys and my vehicle. I have to leave. It is unacceptable that no one can provide an explanation." I had been waiting since 9:46 a.m., and there had been zero communication. I was finally given my keys and requested a copy of the service order.
What frustrated me the most about this lack of communication was that none of the managers made an effort to see what was happening or offer an explanation.
Is this how you treat your customers? Would you find this treatment acceptable if it happened to your family members, after paying for insurance to avoid future problems? This is not acceptable. I left the dealership at 2:22 p.m., frustrated.
I drove to Tipton Hyundai in Brownsville, where they already had a tire for my vehicle. I was immediately attended to by John Wells, Service Manager, and Robert Torres, who coordinated with the insurance. The tire was installed in less than an hour. I even chose to pay the difference rather than return to Bert Ogden, where I had experienced such poor service. Mr. Steve Gonzalez personally approached me to apologize for the negative experience. This is how a dealership should operate—customer service should be a priority not only at the time of sale but throughout the entire ownership experience. None of your managers made the effort to improve or alleviate my experience.
I ask you: is this how you treat your customers? Is this how you would like to be treated? I hope you take action because no one should ever be treated as I was today. There are situations that should never happen. I am left with the positive experience Tipton Hyundai in Brownsville consistently provides, and without a doubt, my next vehicle purchase will be there.