NHTSA Complaint #10165528 — 1999 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS

MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE LOCAL PIZZA SHOP WHEN HE NOTICED THE CAR WAS MAKING A STRANGE NOISE. HE ASKED ME TO LOOK AT IT, SO, I TOOK IT FOR A SHORT RIDE AROUND THE BLOCK. I WAS HALFWAY AROUND THE BLOCK, MOVING AT A SPEED UNDER 5 MPH, WHEN A LOUD GRINDING AND POUNDING NOISE OCCURRED. SOMETHING SERIOUS ENOUGH TO DISABLE THE VEHICLE HAD HAPPENED. I GOT OUT AND SAW THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS POINTED OUTWARD, AND HAD SETTLED BACK AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL. THANK GOD HE WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL SERVICE STATION WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A ROTTED OUT SUB FRAME. THIS VEHICLE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF ROT OR RUST. CERTAINLY NOTHING THAT WOULD PROMPT AN INSPECTION OF THIS PART. YET, THERE WERE PRACTICALLY NO WARNING SIGNS OF HOW EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IT WAS TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. I CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL DEALER, AS DIRECTED BY THE CORPORATE WEBSITE (I WASN'T ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF THEM DIRECTLY), THEY CLAIMED THEY NO PAST HISTORY OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. HOWEVER, THEIR RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM GAVE ME THE FEELING THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME THEY'D HEARD OF THIS PART FAILING. BECAUSE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, AS PER THE POSTING ON YOUR WEBSITE, I'M REQUESTING YOU FURTHER RESEARCH THIS ISSUE. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, SUCH AS PREMATURE DETERIORATION DUE TO THE USE OF SUB-STANDARD MATERIALS, YOUR PROACTIVE APPROACH, COULD ONCE AGAIN, BE INSTRUMENTAL IN PREVENTING CATASTROPHIC INJURIES OR EVEN FATALITIES. IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO ASSIST, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. *NM