NHTSA Complaint #10165756 — 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

THE CLUTCH ON MY 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE (58,000 MILES)WENT OUT ON THE NJ TURNPIKE AT THE START OF A WEEK LONG FAMILY VACATION. MAXON HYUNDAI IN UNION, NJ CLAIMED THAT MY DRIVING HAD BURNED THE CLUTCH OUT (I HAVE BEEN DRIVING STICK FOR 12 YEARS AND MY PREVIOUS CAR- A SATURN- HAD OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH WHEN I SOLD IT) AND WHEN THE CLUTCH WENT IT DAMAGED THE FLY WHEEL. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE FLY WHEEL, THOUGH PART OF THE POWER TRAIN SUPPOSEDLY COVERED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY, WAS NOT COVERED SINCE IT WAS MY FAULT THAT IT WAS DAMAGED. THEY FURTHER INDICATED THAT REPLACING THE CLUTCH AND PUTTING THE OLD FLY WHEEL ON WOULD JUST CAUSE ME TO BURN OUT ANOTHER CLUTCH LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE FLY WHEEL IS WHAT CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO GO IN THE FIRST PLACE. ANYWAY, I DID PAY FOR THE CLUTCH TO BE REPLACED BUT NOT THE FLYWHEEL AND THEN I TRADED IT IN ON A NEW SATURN VUE. I WAS OUTRAGED AT THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY BOTH THE DEALER AND BY HYUNDAI CORPORATE WHEN I CALLED THEM. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE ME AS I GOT A WHOLE $4,500 FOR THE VEHICLE THAT I PAID $17,000 FOR JUST 3 YEARS AGO AND THIS WAS AFTER I HAD TO PAY A REPAIR BILL OF $1600 AND PAY $500 FOR A RENTAL CAR SO THAT OUR VACATION WAS NOT RUINED. *NM