NHTSA Complaint #10336300 — 2008 HYUNDAI AZERA

AUTOMOBILE SURGED, THEN WENT FROM 60+ MPH TO 20+ MPH (LIMP ALONG MODE). NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT UNTIL 20 MPH MODE WAS REACHED THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON JUST BEFORE CAR ENGINE DIED. ESC SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED DURING INCIDENT - POTENTIALLY BY SUDDEN SPEED DECREASE?. PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND HAD TO BE TOWED 45 MILES TO NEAREST DEALER. INCIDENT WAS 100+ MILES FROM HOME WITH DEALER TOW - REPAIR WAS 140 MILES FROM HOME. CAR MILEAGE - 25,803. DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE SENSOR AND PERFORMED ECM UPDATE AS A RESULT OF THIS VISIT. PREVIOUSLY HAD SAME VEHICLE (3 WEEKS PRIOR - 25,187 MILES) AT ANOTHER DEALER FOR SIMILAR COMPLAINT WITH SURGING PROBLEM. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PRESENT. IT TOOK THEM 2 DAYS TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM, THEN HAD TO WAIT FOR PART AND THEN INSTALL - TOTAL TIME AT DEALER (INCLUDING OVER WEEKEND) 5 DAYS. DROVE CAR INTO DEALER FOR FIRST REPAIR, NO TOW NEEDED. INITIAL DEALER CALLED TECH SUPPORT TO HELP DIAGNOSE AND INITIATED A CASE NUMBER WITH THEM. REPLACED MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR DURING THAT VISIT. SAME SYMPTOMS AT FIRST INCIDENT INCLUDING VEHICLE 'SURGING' AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED (50 MPH+). LUCKY THERE WASN'T A MAJOR INJURY OR FATALITY WITH THE TYPE OF SPEED DROP IN THE SECOND INCIDENT. I HAD JUST EXITED THE BUSY INTERSTATE ABOUT 5 MILES EARLIER FOR A 2-LANE LOCAL HIGHWAY. IF THE SECOND INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED ON THE MAJOR HIGHWAY I FEAR A SUBSTANTIAL CRASH AND POSSIBLE FATALITY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. AFTER SECOND INCIDENT, I CALLED HYUNDAI AMERICA TO REPORT INCIDENT AND LODGE COMPLAINT. THEY ARE 'INVESTIGATING'. VERY CONCERNING THAT THIS INVOLVES A THROTTLE PROBLEM AND POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED WITH NO NOTICE. THIS DEFECT COULD EASILY CAUSE A POTENTIAL SERIOUS INJURY OR FATALITY. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS HYUNDAI WHICH WE BOUGHT FOR RELIABILITY AND SAFETY. *TR