NHTSA Complaint #10169316 — 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE OF MY TWO-MONTH-OLD 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS. ON THE NIGHT THAT THIS HAPPENED, I HAD DRIVEN MY SONATA THREE HOURS FROM ATLANTA, GA TO ALBANY, GA AND PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AT ABOUT 5:30PM. I SUBSEQUENTLY RAN A LOCAL ERRAND AND PARKED MY CAR FOR THE EVENING AT 7:30PM. THE CAR WAS PARKED ABOUT 2.5-3 FEET BEHIND MY MOTHER'S 1994 CHEVROLET CORSICA. AROUND 12:30 MIDNIGHT, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WAS BANGING ON MY WINDOW, YELLING, "YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!" FLAMES SHOT UP 5-6 FEET IN THE AIR AND IGNITED THE TRUNK OF MY MOTHER'S CAR. TREES NEARBY WERE SINGED, AND MELTED METAL AND RUBBER DAMAGED THE DRIVEWAY. THANKS TO MY NEIGHBOR'S QUICK ACTION, THE FLAMES DID NOT REACH THE FUEL TANK OF MY MOTHER'S CAR OR OUR HOUSE, THEREBY AVERTING A REAL DISASTER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE LOCAL SERVICE CENTER, MANUFACTURER AND INSURANCE COMPANY WERE NOT THE PARTIES RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE. WIDER CONSUMER AWARENESS OF THE NHTSA AND THE COMPLAINT-TO-RECALL PROCESS WILL ENHANCE SAFETY BY ENCOURAGING ALL PARTIES TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION AND RESPONSIBILITY. *NM