NHTSA Complaint #10237593 — 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008, I BROUGHT IN MY 2001 GLS V6 HYUNDAI SONATA TO BALISE HYUNDAI OF CAPE COD IN HYANNIS, MA. MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 166,500 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. I WAS LOOKING TO GET A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR REPLACED. DURING THEIR DIAGNOSTICS, WITH THE CAR ON A LIFT, THEY NOTICED TWO THINGS. ONE, A POWER STEERING LEAK WAS OCCURRING MOST LIKELY BECAUSE OF A CORRODED POWER STEERING LINE NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE SUBFRAME. TWO, IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE SUSPECTED HOSE FAILURE, THE SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH ON TWO SIDES OF THE PIECE. THE MAIN HOLE IN THE SUBFRAME IS FIST-SIZE OR LARGER AND THE SECOND IS NOT GOOD. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUBFRAME ISSUE WAS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND WARNED ME OF WHAT COULD HAPPENED SHOULD IT FAIL. THEY ALSO TOLD ME ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES THAT REPLACING IT COULD BRING. THEY TOLD THAT THEY WERE HIGHLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ME DRIVING OFF THE LOT WITH THE CAR WITH THE SUBFRAME IN THAT CONDITION BECAUSE IT COULD GO AT ANY TIME. WHEN THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS TO MY CAR, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY MIGHT DO THE SERVICE ON THE SUBFRAME FOR FREE. THEY HAD TO GET APPROVAL FROM A REGIONAL REP OR SUCH PERSON. HOWEVER, AS OF TODAY, SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THE DEALER. TODAY, I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH INTO REPLACING THE SUBFRAME AND FINDING THE PART. WHEN I DID A YAHOO! SEARCH FOR "SONATA SUBFRAME", I CAME ACROSS THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM. I, THANKFULLY, HAVE NOT HAD A FAILURE OR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION, YET. *TR