NHTSA Complaint #10471621 — 2007 HYUNDAI AZERA

A STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED AT ABOUT 50 MPH WHILE ENTERING A GENTLE CURVE TO THE LEFT. IT CAUSED THE CAR TO VEER TO THE LEFT. CAR LEFT THE TRAVEL LANE AND BRIEFLY ENTERED THE SMOOTHLY PAVED AND LEVEL SHOULDER OF THE DIVIDED ROADWAY. CORRECTION TO THE RIGHT TRIGGERED ESC SYSTEM. AT THAT POINT THE DRIVER INPUT TO STEERING AND BRAKES WERE OVERRIDDEN BY THE ESC SYSTEM. ESC SENT CAR STRAIGHT AHEAD BUT WE WERE ON A CURVE. THIS SENT THE CAR INTO THE GUARD RAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER CROSSING BOTH LANES BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO STEERING WHEEL FORCES OR TO BRAKES. THE CAR LIGHTLY GRAZED THE GUARD RAIL CAUSING A SHALLOW DENT IN THE REAR FENDER. BODY DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE REAR FENDER IN THIS CASE AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WHY NOT? THIS IS, HOWEVER, A DEADLY TYPE OF FAILURE BECAUSE THE CAR SENDS YOU WHEREVER IT WANTS TO GO AND YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE COULD HAVE BEEN SENT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR OVER THE SIDE OF A CLIFF. AS THE CAR FINALLY SLOWED, THE ESC SYSTEM EVENTUALLY SHUT ITSELF OFF AND WE COULD, ONCE AGAIN, STEER THE CAR. BUT, THIS WAS WAY TOO LATE TO PREVENT THE DAMAGE. THE CAR DID NOT FAIL IN A FAIL-SAFE MANNER. THIS EVENT WAS TRIGGERED BY A SUDDEN MECHANICAL FAILURE IN THE STEERING SYSTEM AS EVIDENCED BY VERY BADLY MISALIGNED FRONT WHEELS AND STEERING ANGLE ERRORS IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. TIRES DO NOT SHOW UNUSUAL WEAR FROM THE MISALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT HAPPENED SUDDENLY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. A HYUNDAI FIELD SERVICE ENGINEER INSPECTED THE CAR. HYUNDAI WILL NOT TELL US WHAT FAILED SO WE DO NOT KNOW ROOT CAUSE. IN FACT, HYUNDAI DENIES THERE WAS A STEERING FAILURE. CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR