NHTSA Complaint #10415547 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA

ENGINE CAN EASILY BECOME HYDRO-LOCKED IN HEAVY RAIN AND ROAD SPLASH BACK FROM OTHER VEHICLES DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE DIRECT AIR INTAKE OF THE SONATA HYBRID. WITH ITS DESIGN, IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY WATER BAFFLES TO PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING THE AIR FILTER AND ONCE IT ENTERS THE AIR FILTER BOX, THERE ARE NO DRAIN HOLES FOR IT TO DRAIN OUT. THIS FORCES THE WATER THROUGH THE ENGINE AS THAT IS THE ONLY WAY FOR IT TO GET OUT OF THE FILTER BOX. WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED, NO ELECTRONIC CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AND THE CAR REMAINED IN THE 'READY' STATE. THIS COULD LEAD TO DAMAGE OF THE HEV SYSTEM AND BATTERY PACK. PER THE TECHNICIAN SERVICING THE CAR, THEY STATED THAT THE HEV WARNING LIGHT ONLY ILLUMINATED WHEN THE HEV BATTERY REACHES 15% CHARGE (THE POINT AT WHICH THEY HAVE TO REPLACE IT), THIS CONTRADICTS WITH THE OWNER'S MANUAL AS WELL AS COUNTERACTS THE PURPOSE OF A WARNING LAMP. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE DESIGN WHERE THE COMPUTER CONTROLS WHEN THE ENGINE START/STOPS, THE ENGINE CAN DAMAGE ITSELF BEFORE PREVENTATIVE ACTION CAN BE TAKEN. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS DUE TO WATER INGESTION THROUGH THE AIR FILTER AND THE OXYGEN SENSOR DETERMINES IT CANNOT COMPENSATE, THE ENGINE WILL STALL, BUT BEFORE THE SITUATION CAN BE RECTIFIED, THE COMPUTER ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE CAUSING IT TO BECOME HYDRO-LOCKED. WITH MY EXPERIENCE, I AM CONVINCED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE CAR IS FLAWED AND IS UNRELIABLE TO DRIVE IN A HEAVY RAIN SCENARIO WHICH LEAVES IT UNUSABLE SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL HYBRIDS IN THE PAST (2001 AND 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS) THAT I OPERATED THROUGH THE SAME CONDITIONS AS YOUR VEHICLE AND I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEM. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE TOYOTA, WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS AGAINST THE COMPUTER'S CONTROL (E.G.: RUNNING OUT OF FUEL), THE HEV AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHT BOTH ILLUMINATED AND THE 'READY' LIGHT WAS DE-ILLUMINATED. *TR