NHTSA Complaint #10224849 — 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA

I TOOK MY CAR TO MY PERSONAL MECHANIC ON 3/19/2008 BECAUSE THE CAR WAS MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE ON AN IRREGULAR BASIS AND IT WAS NOT STEERING PROPERLY. HE TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE W/ MYSELF IN THE CAR. IT MADE NO NOISE AND IT DID NOT "PULL". HE REASSURED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK AT THAT TIME, HOWEVER, IF IT BECAME A PROBLEM TO LET HIM KNOW. THE SQUEAKING RETURNED INTERMITTENTLY. A LITTLE OVER A WEEK LATER ON 3/28/2008, I WAS DRIVING FROM MY HOME IN SCRANTON, PA TO MY SON'S DR'S APPOINTMENT IN PHILADELPHIA, PA. I WAS ON THE PA TURNPIKE FOR A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR, DURING WHICH TIME I NOTED TO MY MOTHER (DRIVING WITH ME) THAT THE CAR WAS GOING STRAIGHT, HOWEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT. UPON GETTING ONTO THE SCHUYLKILL EXPRESSWAY I HEARD A SQUEAL ON THE TIGHT LEFT TURN (A VERY DANGEROUS, HIGH TRAFFIC HIGHWAY) AND STAYED ON THAT FOR APPROX ANOTHER 10MILES. I TURNED ONTO ANOTHER HIGHWAY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY I STOPPED AT THE FIRST INTERSECTION. AFTER STOPPING I TRIED TO PULL OUT AND THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE, SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. WHILE I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION (THE COPS EVEN DROVE RIGHT ON BY), I WAS FRANTIC CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT IF HAD HAPPENED SECONDS SOONER, IT WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE BEEN TRAGIC ACCIDENT INVOLVING NOT ONLY MYSELF, MY MOTHER AND MY EIGHT YEAR OLD SON BUT ALSO OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MECHANIC, WHO EVALUATED THE CAR THE PREVIOUS WEEK, STATED THAT THE SUB-FRAME WAS "ROTTED AND RUSTED OUT" WHICH RESULTED IN THE AXLE DROPPING OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. HE COULDN'T FIND USED PARTS. THE JUNK YARDS SAID ALL OF THE '99 AND '00 SONATAS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE PUT MY FAMILY'S SAFETY IN GRAVE DANGER. NO THERE WAS NO CRASH AND NO THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. THAT WAS ONLY DUE TO THE FORTUNATE TIMING OF THIS INCIDENT. PLEASE CONTACT HYUNDAI TO RECALL THIS PART NO ONE SHOULD BE PUT IN THIS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. *TR