NHTSA Complaint #10459514 — 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA

DRIVING ON I-94 IN BATTLE CREEK, MI, THE 2008 SONATA, AFTER MAKING A TICKING NOISE FOR A YEAR (WHICH THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT LOOK AT) BEGAN TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE AND SOMETHING FLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE AND SMOKE CAME POURING OUT OF THE VENTS. I PULLED TO THE SHOULDER ON THIS BUSY INTERSTATE AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FROM HYUNDAI. THEY SENT A WRECKER, AND WHEN THE CAR WAS LIFTED, ALL OF THE OIL WAS ON THE ROAD. THEY TOWED IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER 30 MILES AWAY IN KALAMAZOO, MI AND THEY TOLD ME THAT A ROD AND PISTON HAD FLOWN OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE OF THE CAR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH FAULTY CRANK ROD CAP BOLTS. THE TICKING I THINK WAS FROM THE ROD CAP THAT HAD COME OFF. AS OF NOW, THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY AWAITING OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. PLEASE FORCE A RECALL SOON, AS THIS COULD BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THE FLYING PISTON. LUCKILY IT FLEW OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR