NHTSA Complaint #10452588 — 2004 HYUNDAI XG350

WE OWN AN XG350 HYUNDAI. CAR WAS BROUGHT IN TO DEALER UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR CORROSION OF SUBFRAME APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS AGO. DEALER PERFORMED MANUFACTURER-SUGGESTED REPAIRS: DRILLED HOLES IN SUBFRAME AND TREATED WITH ANTI-CORROSIVE. THREE YEARS LATER, SUBFRAME COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT AND CAR IS A DANGER TO DRIVE. PROBLEM WAS FOUND WHEN WE NOTICED WHEEL MISALIGNMENT (LOOKED LIKE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS SKEWED) AND THAT CAR COULD NOT GO OVER EVEN SMALL BUMPS WITHOUT SLIDING ACROSS THE ROAD. THE GENTLEMAN WHO INSPECTED THE CAR FOR WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE AN ALIGNMENT, SAID THAT THE CAR WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IN HIS OPINION, WAS "TOTALED". WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AS IT IS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE 2 MILES. WHEN WE CALLED THE HYUNDAI DEALER, HE AGREED TO REPLACE THE SUBFRAME AT NO COST, ADMITTING THAT THIS WAS A HYUNDAI PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD THE ORIGINAL "FIX" ARE UNDER A FALSE IMPRESSION THAT THERE IS NO FURTHER REASON FOR CONCERN. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE RUST IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE OUTSIDE, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY NO ONE SAW IT 4 MONTHS AGO WHEN WE HAD SNOW TIRES PUT ON. IT JUST SUDDENLY "BURSTS" FROM THE INSIDE OUT. HE ADMITTED IT WAS DANGEROUS. WE ARE DILIGENT ABOUT CLEANING THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CAR EVERY MONTH AS WE ARE IN A HIGH SALT AREA (MASSACHUSETTS). WE BABY THE AUTOMOBILE AND KEEP IT PERFECTLY. I AM ANGRY BECAUSE MY SON DRIVES THIS CAR AND LAST WEEKEND HE WAS GOING TO TAKE IT ON THE HIGHWAY FOR A TRIP WITH HIS FRIENDS. IF THE RUST HADN'T "BURST" THROUGH WHEN IT DID, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNAWARE OF THE DANGER AND LET HIM AND HIS FRIENDS TAKE THE CAR. THIS IS A DEATH WAITING TO HAPPEN. *JS