NHTSA Complaint #10368151 — 2004 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

WHILE DRIVING TO FLORIDA ON I95 USING CRUISE CONTROL TRAFFIC BEGAN TO BACK UP IN THE RICHMOND AREA SO THE WIFE HIT THE BRAKES. CAR DID NOT DISENGAGE BUT RATHER SPED UP TO THE CONTROL SETTING. REPEATEDLY HITTING THE BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT SO WE HAD TO MANUALLY DISENGAGE THE UNIT. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER OF PURCHASE AS WELL AS TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER WITH NO RESOLUTION OTHER THAN TO PAY FOR THEM TO HUNT DOWN THE PROBLEM. I WAS ABLE TO FIND THAT THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALL BRAKE LIGHTS AND WILL TEMPORARILY FIX ITSELF IF I HIT THE WIRING HARNESS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS.. IT IS NOT DUE TO A FAULTY BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH. THIS WAS REPORTED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIPS WITH THE SAME RESULT THEN TO HYUNDAI USA ON NOV 4, 2010 CASE NUMBER [XXX]. HYUNDAI MAINTAINS IT IS A SERVICE ISSUE AND NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT MY ONLY RECOURSE IS TO PAY THE DEALER TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. I INFORMED THEM THAT IF THEY GOOGLE HYUNDAI BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEMS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE REPORTING LOSS OF BRAKE LIGHTS WHO MAY BE UNAWARE THAT THEIR CRUISE CONTROL MAY DISENGAGE. THEY HAVE CLOSED THE CASE SO I AM REQUESTING THAT THIS BE PUT ON RECORD. CONDITION STILL EXISTS AFTER 6 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR.. IS AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE HARNESS CONNECTOR I BELIEVE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR