NHTSA Complaint #10358296 — 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

ON 08/06/10 WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, I HEARD A LOUD "POP" SOUND COME FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. AT THAT TIME, I DISCOVERED THE FRONT AXLE HAD ACTUALLY BROKEN (PASSENGER SIDE) AND WAS DRAGGING THE GROUND. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT MY CAR FROM (A 2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA- I CONTACTED FIRST TEAM AUTO MALL WHERE I HAD BOUGHT IT NEW), AND ADVISED THE SERVICE PERSONNEL OF WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. THEY ADVISED THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT MY CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP. I PAID $632.89 TO REPLACE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, INCLUDING SWAY BAR/LINK KIT AND RE-ALIGNMENT. ON 09/28/10 I FOUND A LINK ONLINE TO A WEBSITE DETAILING MULTIPLE RECALLS FOR 2002-2003 HYUNDAI ELANTRAS- RECALLS HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED IN SEVERAL AREAS NEAR ME, BUT NOT IN MY PARTICULAR STATE. THE RECALL INVOLVED ROAD SALT CAUSING CORROSION TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO BREAKAGE. THE REPAIR SHOP I TOOK MY CAR TO THAT DAY COULD NOT TELL ME HOW THE DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED; THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. I ALSO NOTICED ON 09/28/10 A RECALL REGARDING LEAKAGE OF BRAKE FLUID; I HAVE HAD TO REFILL THE BRAKE FLUID IN MY CAR TWICE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS (I HAD NEVER HAD TO DO THIS BEFORE MAY OF THIS YEAR AND I'VE HAD THE CAR SINCE 2002). I AGAIN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, WHO ADVISED ME THERE ARE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY, THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALLS ARE HAPPENING/HAVE HAPPENED TO MY CAR, AND POSSIBLY OTHER CARS IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RE-EVALUATE THE RECALL CRITERIA AND EXPAND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE ANY AND ALL VEHICLES THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE AFFECTED. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE ON THE DAY MY LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE, THE DAMAGE WOULD VERY LIKELY HAVE KILLED ME AND ANY OTHER MOTORIST UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE NEAR ME AT THE TIME. *TR