NHTSA Complaint #10254040 — 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA

I WAS DRIVING HOME GETTING READY TO GET ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN MY CAR MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND IT SEEMED THE FRONT END HAD DROPPED. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISED ME THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE AXEL HAD RUSTED OUT. I HAD PURCHASED A SERVICE CONTRACT THROUGH ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP. SERVICE CONTRACT SAID THAT HYUNDAI WAS GOING TO REPAIR MY DAMAGES FREE OF CHARGE; IN OTHER WORDS, I DID NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH MY SERVICE CONTRACT TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE AND I DID NOT HAVE TO PAY THE $50 DEDUCTIBLE. HOWEVER, UPON RETURNING TO PICK UP MY CAR I WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP THAT I DID IN FACT HAVE TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE. DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT HYUNDAI ONLY PAID FOR A PORTION OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE READ SOME ON- LINE COMPLAINTS AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. HAD I HAD MADE IT TO THE INTERSTATE, I AM SURE MYSELF AND OTHERS WOULD BE INJURED AND OR DEAD! DEALERSHIP 9 MONTHS PRIOR HAD FIXED A BALL- JOINT ETC. ON THIS SAME SIDE. FEEL DEALERSHIP IS VERY NEGLIGENT IN THIS MATTER- SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING ESPECIALLY IF IT IS COMMON. I WAS NOT HAPPY FINDING OUT THAT I HAD TO PAY DEDUCTIBLE ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS TOLD I DIDN'T HAVE TO. THEY HAD ME SIGN PAPERWORK FOR THE DEDUCTIBLE, BUT I WAS TOLD THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO USE IT....IT WAS FORMALITIES "JUST IN CASE". I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE OTHER CHARGES THAT HYUNDAI SUPPOSEDLY SAID THEY WOULDN'T PAY. *TR