NHTSA Complaint #10260387 — 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA

ON 2/22/09 I NOTICED THE FRONT TIRES ON MY 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA WERE VERY WORN AND THE WIRES WERE SHOWING . THE TIRES WERE IN GOOD SHAPE WHEN THEY WERE ROTATED TO THE FRONT 1/29/09. AFTER GETTING SEVERAL QUOTES ON NEW TIRES, I CHOOSE OUR LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER TO REPLACE THE TIRES. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN ON 2/25/09 TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER TO HAVE TIRES REPLACED. AFTER THE TECH HAD REPLACED THE TIRES, HE WAS GOING TO CHECK THE ALIGNMENT. UPON CHECKING THE ALIGNMENT HE NOTICE THAT THE FRAME BY THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WAS RUSTED OUT AND CRACKED. HE RECOMMENDED NOT DOING THE ALIGNMENT AND STATED THE CAR WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE.THE NEXT DAY 2/26/09 I CONTACTED DEALERSHIP BY PHONE ABOUT AN ESTIMATE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THEY GAVE ME A QUOTE OF $ 1300.00 FOR NEW SUBFRAME AND TO REPLACE IT THEN DO AN ALIGNMENT. AFTER DECIDING I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO PAY THAT MUCH MONEY, I WENT TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP LATER THAT MORNING TO GET AN ESTIMATE. THE BODY SHOP OWNER GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $ 1035.00 TO REPLACE WITH A NEW SUBFRAME AND RECOMMENDED POSSIBLY USING A USED PART FROM A SALVAGE YARD, IF HE COULD FIND ONE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE BODY SHOP AND LEFT THERE THE NEXT DAY 2/27/09. WHEN I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP THE OWNER STATED THAT " HE HAD TRIED SEVERAL SAVAGE YARDS TO FIND A USED SUBFRAME AND COULDN' T FIND ONE BECAUSE THE 1999 AND 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA WERE NOTORIOUS FOR RUSTING OUT ON THE SUBFRAME AND MY ONLY CHOICE WAS GETTING A NEW SUBFRAME AND REPLACING IT FOR $ 1035.87". LATER THAT EVENING I DONE SOME MORE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET ABOUT SUBFRAMES ON 2000 HYUNDAI SONATAS. I LEARNED THAT IT WAS VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE SUBFRAME RUSTED OUT ON THE 1999-2002 HYUNDAI SONATAS FROM YOUR WEB SITE AND MANY OTHERS. I LEARNED THAT N.H.T.S.A HAS BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MATTER AND I WANTED TO NOTIFY N.H.T.S.A ABOUT THE PROBLEM THAT I AM ALSO HAVING WITH MY VEHICLE. I NOTIFIED HYUNDAI ON 2/27/09 BY PHONE ABOUT MY PROBLEM AND I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. *TR