NHTSA Complaint #10354316 — 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA

I AM WRITING IN REGARD TO MY 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA AND ITS SUB FRAME CORROSION AND THE FRUSTRATION I AM FEELING FROM THIS SITUATION. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON FRIDAY AUGUST 27TH AROUND 520 A.M. AND HAD BEEN ON THE I-10 FREEWAY ABOUT 5 MILES GOING AROUND 65 MILES AN HOUR, THE ROAD SOON HAS A SPEED LIMIT OF 75 MPH ' IT'S A 25 MILE STRETCH OF DESERT AND VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED BY 18 WHEELERS MAKING THE HAUL TO CALIFORNIA (LOS ANGELES). ANYWAY, I HAD JUST PASSED A SEMI AND WAS ABOUT TO PASS ANOTHER (WITH ONE BEHIND ME) WHEN I FELT SOMETHING LIKE METAL ON PAVEMENT AND THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLY WRONG WITH MY FRONT RIGHT TIRE... I DID ALL I COULD TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY (ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE) THE SEMI BEHIND ME ALMOST REAR ENDED ME ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES ON THEIR WAY TO WORK ' ALL I HEARD WAS HORNS, TIRES SQUEALING, AND SAW PEOPLE FLIPPING ME OFF ALL WHILE I WAS TRYING TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY. I WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD (BARELY OVER THE YELLOW LINE). I TRIED TO LOOK AT THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE BUT THE CAR WAS SO CLOSE TO THE FREEWAY I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER TO STAY IN THE CAR OR STAND OUTSIDE (IF THE CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT EITHER WAY WOULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY). A POLICE MAN CAME BY ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER AND ASKED IF I WAS OKAY AND HAD ME TRY TO START THE CAR ' THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AS IF THE GEARS WERE GONE ' HE USED HIS PATROL CAR TO MOVE THE CAR FROM THE ROADWAY AND DOWN INTO THE DESERT MEDIAN. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT WE TOOK A LOOK AND COULD SEE THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS FACING OUT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES WITH WHEEL HOUSING AND FENDER DAMAGE. I CALLED A FRIEND, AND A TOW TRUCK AND WENT TO WORK. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC'S HOUSE AND I WAS TOLD AFTER HIS INSPECTION THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM COMPLETELY SEPARATED/DETACHED FROM THE SUB FRAME, WITH CHUNKS OF THE FRAME STILL ATTACHED TO THE CONTROL ARM HARDWARE (NOTICEABLE SEVERE RUST/CORROSION) WHEN THE LOWER CONTROL ARM DETACHED FROM THE SUB FRAME. *TR