NHTSA Complaint #10350125 — 2006 HYUNDAI TUCSON

THE POWER WINDOWS ON THE VEHICLE WERE NOT WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, WHO FOUND A BLOWN FUSE. THE FUSE WAS REPLACED, AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR COMPUTER LOCATED UNDER THE CENTER CONSOLE STARTED TO BURN. THE MECHANIC DISCONNECTED THE FUSE AND CUT THE WIRES TO THE TPMS MODULE. I THEN TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM. AT FIRST THEY ACTED LIKE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. I LEFT THE CAR WITH THEM. SEVERAL HOURS LATER, THEY ADVISED THE TPMS MODULE HAD INDEED SHORT CIRCUITED AND THEREFORE THE MODULE AND ENTIRE HARNESS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3,000. THEY COULD NOT ADVISE ME WHY THIS HAPPENED. IN FACT, THE SERVICE REP COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY REPLACING A WINDOW FUSE WOULD CAUSE THE TPMS MODULE TO BURN SINCE THEY ARE ON DIFFERENT CIRCUITS. ALSO, I BELIEVE THE TPMS MODULE HAS IT'S OWN FUSES WHICH SHOULD HAVE BLOWN PRIOR TO BURNING. I REPORTED THIS TO HYUNDAI USA AND THEY INVESTIGATED. THEY EMAILED ME TO ADVISE THE PROBLEM WAS BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN I TRIED TO REPLY TO THEM, THEY BLOCKED MY EMAIL ADDRESS COMPLETELY, SO I EMAILED THEM UNDER A DIFFERENT EMAIL ADDRESS. THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED. I BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS PROBLEM RESULT IN A CAR FIRE HAD THE MECHANIC NOT DISCONNECTED THE SYSTEM WHEN HE DID. I AM REPORTING THIS TO YOU IN CASE OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THIS MAY BE A DESIGN FLAW AS A FUSE SHOULD HAVE BLOWN ON THE TPMS MODULE (A DIAGRAM INDICATES A SLOW FUSE SHOULD BE PRESENT). *TR