NHTSA Complaint #10358259 — 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE TRAVELING NORTH FROM PALM COAST, FL TO SLATINGTON, PA. TRAVELING NORTH ON RTE I-95, MY HUSBAND DROVE ABOUT 300 MILES AND THAN I DROVE ANOTHER 300 MILES, STOPPING TO EAT AND AT VARIOUS REST AREAS. JUST BEFORE THE VIRGINIA BORDER, WE STOPPED AT A REST AREA AND MY HUSBAND TOOK OVER DRIVING. HE SAID WE SHOULD STOP FOR GAS AND A BIT TO EAT. WE WENT OVER THE STATE LINE AND GOT OFF AT EXIT 4, WE EXIT, STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN, TURNED RIGHT TO GO INTO THE STATION AND WE HEARD A LOUD SNAP. AT THIS POINT, THE ONLY WAY HE COULD STOP THE CAR WAS TO PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THERE WAS NO CONTROL OF THE CAR. AFTER BEING TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WE WERE TOLD THAT POSSIBLY THE DRIVESHAFT SNAPPED AND THE TRANSMISSION ALSO WENT. THE MECHANIC THERE SAID THAT THIS IS THE THIRD ONE HE HAD SEEN LIKE THAT. THE NEXT DAY WE WERE TOLD THAT IN FACT THAT IS WHAT HAD HAPPENED. LUCKILY, WE HAD GOTTEN OFF WHEN WE DID, OR ELSE WE MAY HAVE BEEN IN A MAJOR CRASH ON BUSY RTE I-95 OR MAY EVEN HAD BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF NO CONTROL OF THE CAR. THIS IS 2010 CAR WITH ONLY 17,700 MILES ON IT. TODAY, WE FOUND OUT THAT HYUNDAI KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE DEALERS HAVE RECEIVED A BULLETIN ABOUT THIS. WE WERE NOT TOLD OF THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT AND NOW DO NOT KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN CORRECTED PROPERLY. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO PICK UP THE CAR IN VIRGINIA BY THE END OF THE WEEK. WE DO HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN ABOUT THIS CAR. *TR