NHTSA Complaint #10462532 — 2012 HYUNDAI VELOSTER

VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTS TO FIFTH GEAR WHEN PASSING BUT DOES NOT RETURN TO SIXTH GEAR UPON RELEASING ACCELERATOR. VEHICLE CONTINUES AT SAME RATE OF SPEED WHEN RELEASING ACCELERATOR AS IF IT WERE ON CRUISE CONTROL. WHILE PASSING AN 18 WHEELER ON HWY 169 NORTH, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER 18 WHEELER APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET IN FRONT OF THE ONE I WAS PASSING. WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE I COULD NOT PASS BOTH TRUCKS, SO I PASSED THE FIRST ONE AND PULLED IN BEHIND THE OTHER ONE. WHEN I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR CONTINUED AT THE SAME RATE OF SPEED FORCING ME TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID REAR-ENDING THE OTHER TRUCK. THIS VEHICLE (AND SUBSEQUENTLY ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE DEALERSHIP LOT) EXHIBITS THIS CHARACTERISTIC EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE GOES INTO PASSING MODE. HOWEVER, IF YOU BACK OFF THE ACCELERATOR SLIGHTLY, AFTER ABOUT 5 SECONDS, THE CAR WILL SHIFT BACK INTO SIXTH GEAR [BUT ALL THE WHILE ACCELERATING]. I NOTICED THAT YOU CAN MANUALLY SHIFT THE VEHICLE BACK TO SIXTH BY MOVING THE SHIFTER TO MANUAL MODE FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN SHIFTING BACK INTO "D". THE ENGINE RPMS WILL FALL BACK DOWN IMMEDIATELY INDICATING THE SHIFT. OTHERWISE, THE VEHICLE REMAINS IN FIFTH GEAR WITHOUT DECELERATING FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 SECONDS. IN MY CASE, THE CAR DID NOT DO WHAT I "TOLD" IT TO DO: DECELERATE BY RELEASING THE PEDAL. I'VE SPOKEN TO HYUNDAI AND TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU BECAUSE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW. "CONTROL" IS THE KEY ISSUE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A VEHICLE. IF SOMEONE IS NOT EXPECTING THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE AT THE RATE OF SPEED WHEN THEY LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THEY COULD CRASH INTO SOMEONE AS I ALMOST DID. THANK YOU. *TT