NHTSA Complaint #10317402 — 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE REGARDING CONTROL ARM & SUBFRAME ON OUR 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA ON WED. MAR 3,2010. PLAN WAS TO CONTACT DEALERSHIP ON SAT.(MAR 6,2010) TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK. RECEIVED A PANIC CALL FROM MY WIFE THAT SOMETHING HAD SNAPPED AS SHE WAS CROSSING THE RHINECLIFF BRIDGE . FORTUNATELY THIS OCCURRED JUST AS SHE WAS EXITING THE TOLL BOOTH. BOOTH OPERATOR ASSISTED HER IN GETTING CAR OUT OF MAIN FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND CALLING A TOW TRUCK. TOW TRUCK DRIVER CONFIRMED THAT CONTROL ARM HAD SNAPPED AS DID THE HYUNADI DEALER (WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED). DEALER ALSO SAID THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER RECALLS CONCERNING THIS VEHICLE THAT THEY WOULD ALSO BE REPAIRING. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY OF THESE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CONTROL ARM ISSUE AND IN THAT CASE IT FAILED WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF OUR NOTICE. MY QUESTION IS WHY IS IT THAT WERE ONLY NOTIFIED A FEW DAYS AGO REGARDING SUCH AS SERIOUS ISSUE WHEN THE ORIGINAL RECALL NOTICE WAS DATED NEARLY 11 MONTHS AGO. AND NEVER NOTIFIED REGARDING OTHER RECALLS. BY THE WAY THE DEALER HAD THE NERVE TO CHARGE MY WIFE FOR A LOANER VEHICLE AND SAID PARTS WILL NEED TO BE ORDERED. OBVIOUSLY I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT NEITHER MY WIFE OR ANYONE ELSE WERE INJURED. BUT I REMAIN FURIOUS THAT THIS EVER HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE. *TR