NHTSA Complaint #10218525 — 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

BACKLICK ROAD IN SPRINGFIELD VA. I GENTLY PRESSED ON THE BRAKES BECAUSE OF SLOWING TRAFFIC, MY CAR IMMEDIATELY SLID TO THE LEFT AND WITH OUT WARNING CAME TO A SUDDEN HALT. CALLED 911 FOR POLICE ASSISTANCE IN DIRECTING TRAFFIC AND ALSO AAA FOR TOWING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE GARAGE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE RIGHT CONTROL ARM OF MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2002 WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKE OFF JAMMING ITSELF INTO THE WHEEL OF MY CAR CAUSING IT TO NOT MOVE AT ALL. IRONICALLY, MY CAR WAS JUST SERVICED BY MY DEALERSHIP 6 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING FOR AN OIL CHANGE, TIRES ROTATED AND ALIGNMENT. THEY NEVER MENTIONED A RUSTY CONTROL ARM. HYUNDAI WAS GOING TO CHARGE $400 TO HAVE THE CONTROL ARM REPAIRED. THEN I ASKED THEM FOR PICTURES OF THE CONTROL ARM AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THAT BECAUSE THE CAMERA BELONGED TO HYUNDAI AND THEY DID KNOW HOW TO GET PICTURES TO ME. I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO COME IN AND TAKE PICTURES OF THE CONTROL ARM MYSELF. WITH IN MINUTES - THEY TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE IT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY! THEY DID COVER IT UNDER GOOD WILL WARRANTY AND THE PART WAS REPLACED. NEVER DID THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGE THE SEVERITY THIS COULD HAVE TURNED INTO HAD I BEEN TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE AT THAT TIME. I PICKED UP MY CAR ON MONDAY 2/18. THEY BROUGHT OUT THE RUSTED CONTROL ARM FROM MY CAR BUT THEY ALSO BROUGHT OUT ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS REPLACED ON SATURDAY, JUST AS RUSTED THROUGH AS MINE HAD BEEN. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE ONE FROM MY CAR. THEY WOULD NOT LET ME KEEP THE PART BECAUSE THEY SAID IT HAD TO BE SENT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN I CALLED TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM TO HYUNDAI OF AMERICA (VIA 800 #) THEY SAID THEY WERE CLOSING MY CASE BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP HAD RESOLVED THE PROBLEM AND THAT I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE GOODWILL SERVICE. I'M EXPECTING A CALL FROM A SUPERVISOR W/IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. *TR