NHTSA Complaint #10297346 — 2007 HYUNDAI ENTOURAGE

THERE HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT WHINE COMING FROM MY SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE ENGINE FOR THE LAST 3 MONTHS. UPON RESEARCHING THE CAUSE OF THE WHINE WE WERE ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN TO THE POWER STEERING OIL PUMP. WHEN WE WENT LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE KNOWN ISSUES, WE CAME ACROSS A TECHINICAL SERVICE BULLETIN - DATED AUGUST 2008 - ADDRESSING A WHINE NOISE IN THE POWER STEERING OIL PUMP. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TO ASK ABOUT HAVING THE POWER STEERING PUMP CHECKED, BASED ON THE TSB - I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT "HE" WAS THE SPECIALIST AND HE WOULD DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS - BUT FIRST HE WOULD HAVE TO DO A COMPLETE CHECK ON THE ENGINE (TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $450) TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. HE THEN ASKED THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE AND WHEN I TOLD HIM, HE INFORMED ME THAT SINCE IT WAS OVER 60K - IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY AND I WOULD THEREFORE HAVE TO PAY ALL OUT OF POCKET. REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT THE TSB WAS DATED AUGUST 2008 AND THAT THE TSB INFO WAS NEVER SENT TO THE CUSTOMERS - (WAS TOLD TSB INFORMATION WAS STRICTLY FOR SERVICE TECHNICIANS AND THE CONSUMER DID NOT NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT) SINCE THE PROBLEM BEGAN, MY POWER STEERING HAS SEIZE UP THREE TIMES - LOCKING MY STEERING WHEEL IN PLACE. SO FAR, I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT AT THE TIME I WAS JUST PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. BUT IF THIS SHOULD HAPPEN WHILE ON A SHARP CURVE - THE CAR COULD VERY EASILY NOT COME OUT OF THE TURN AND CAUSE A SEVERE CRASH. MY MAIN COMPLAINT - IF THERE IS A TSB AND REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR - THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. IT SHOULD NOT FALL TO THE CONSUMERS TO BE HIT WITH A HEFTY REPAIR BILL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS FAULTY. *TR