NHTSA Complaint #10136630 — 1999 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

SUNDAY SEPT 11, 2005- MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ON I-285 WEST BOUND I HAD TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AMIDST SUNDAY TRAFFIC,THEY CONFIRMED THAT MY TIMING BELT HAD POPPED CAR TOWED TO MIDAS GAVE ME A TSB REPORT STATING THAT THE TIMING BELT COVERED HAD CRACKED AND THAT IS WHAT MADE THE TIMING BELT POP, WHICH IN TURN IS A MANUFACTURING. I CALLED THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND LEFT A COMPLAINT WITH MATT-FILE: 939520 HE SAID I NEEDED TO HAVE A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP LOOK AT THE CAR TO MAKE SURE IN FACT THIS IS THE PROBLEM, BC I HAVE OVER 147,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. JIM ELLIS HYUNDAI LOOKED AT MY CAR IN SERVICE AND DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST,STATED THAT THE MAINTENANCE ON THE UPPER AND LOWER COVER IS WHAT CAUSED THE TIMING BELT TO BREAK. THEY COULD FIX THE TIMING BELT AND THE UPPER AND LOWER COVER AND THE CRANKSHAFT SEAL -WHICH IS LEAKING. JIM CALLS ME BACK AND STATES THAT THE ENGINE IS GONE AND WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR THE CAR TO WORK AGAIN. HE SAID THAT MIDAS MUST HAVE BEEN TRYING TO START THE CAR WITH A NEW TIMING BELT WHICH LOCKED THE ENGINE UP, I TOLD HIM THAT MIDAS JUST CHECKED THE CAR AND NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, JIM HAD ANOTHER TECHNICIAN TO LOOK AT IT THIS MORNING TO SEE IF THE UPPER AND LOWER COVER IS CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO BREAK. JIM CALLS ME BACK AND STATES THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SEALED HAD LEAKED ONTO THE UPPER AND LOWER COVER AND CAUSED THE TIMING BELT TO SLIP, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE CRACK INTO THE UPPER AND LOWER COVER. HE STATED IF MIDAS HAD REPAIRED THE OIL LEAK THEN THE BELT WOULD NOT HAVE BROKE. I RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO MIDAS AND THEY STATE THEY WILL GIVE ME A NOTARIZED LETTER AND FAX OVER THE TSB REPORT STATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS IN RUNNING CONDITION BEFORE THE CAR WAS TURNED OVER TO JIM ELLIS HYUNDAI AND THAT THE PART IS DEFECTIVE. NOW I AM AT A POINT WERE MY CAR IS STILL NOT FIXED, I HAVE NO TRANSPORTATION AND THAT THE ENGINE IS RUINED. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION REF: 6726217.*JB