NHTSA Complaint #10158626 — 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

ON MAY 7TH MY CAR WAS TOWED INTO THE MAXON DEALERSHIP WITH COMPLAINTS OF CLUNKING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD AND LOST OF POWER. THE SERVICE ON MY VEHICLE WAS COMPLETED ON MAY 9TH. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY DRIVER BELTS AND A COMPUTERIZED PROBLEM WAS THE CAUSE OF POWER. ON MAY 28TH (MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND) WHILE COMING HOME FROM VIRGINIA I SUDDENLY LOST STEERING POWER ON INTERSTATE 95 IN MARYLAND. I HAD MY THREE CHILDREN IN THE CAR ALONG WITH MY COUSIN AND HER DAUGHTER. WE WERE ALL VERY SCARED! MY CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP IN LAUREL, MD. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHO ADVISED ME THAT WHEN MY DRIVER BELTS WERE REPLACED THEY WERE TOO TIGHT WHICH IN TURN CRACKED MY PULLEY AND DAMAGE MY POWER STEERING PUMP. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE BOTH WILL HAVE TO BE REPAIRED AND THAT A TENSIONER WILL BE ADDED. I CONTACTED MAXON HYUNDAI, WHO SIMPLY STATED " THE REPAIRS WILL BE DONE UNDER MY WARRANTY" END OF STORY. WE AND MY FAMILY COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIVES IN AN INSTANT BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICIANS ERROR AND FOR MAXON TO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT ERROR IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. I WAS NOT OFFERED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE ORIGINAL REPAIRS MADE, NOR DID THEY OFFER TO REIMBURSED FOR THE COST OF THE RENTAL, NOR DID THEY OFFER TO BRING MY CAR FROM MARYLAND TO NEW JERSEY, THEY OFFERED ME NOTHING. MY CAR HAS BEEN TO THEM ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND ALWAYS SEEM TO GO BACK WITHIN TWO MONTHS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. DO THE OWNERS OF MAXON REALIZE HOW PRECIOUS A LIFE IS? MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY CHILDREN WERE SPARED THIS TIME, BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR NEXT CUSTOMER WHERE THEY DECIDE TO CUT CORNERS? *NM