NHTSA Complaint #10483559 — 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA

ONE MONTH AFTER PURCHASING A NEW 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, I NOTICED A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM REAR SUSPENSION/SUB-FRAME AREA WHEN THE ENTERING AN INCLINED DRIVEWAY OR NON-UNIFORM ROADWAY. THIS STARTED AT AROUND THE 700-MILE MARK ON MY VEHICLE ODOMETER. THIS ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICA CORPORATE APPROXIMATELY 3-MONTHS AGO, IN AUGUST 2012. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP I VISITED IN MY AREA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE NOISE EXISTS, BUT HAS DISMISSED IT AS "NORMAL BODY CREAK FLEX, SONATAS MAKE THIS NOISE." I PUSHED THE ISSUE TO HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICA CORPORATE AND THEY HAD ORIGINALLY AGREED TO HAVE THE DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER EXAMINE THE VEHICLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY, HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICA CORPORATE HAS JUST INFORMED ME THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP DOESN'T WANT TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE ANYMORE AND TO CONSIDER BRINGING MY VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARE NOW STATING THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF EVER MAKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER. I HAVE BEEN WAITING 3-MONTHS TO MEET THE DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER, AND THE RESPONSE FROM HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICA CORPORATE UP UNTIL NOW IS TO BE PATIENT AND WAIT TO BE CONTACTED WITH AN APPOINTMENT DATE. THE VEHICLE STILL MAKES THIS NOISE WITH NO RESOLUTION. I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE IS METAL TO METAL CONTACT, AND IN THE LONG-TERM FUTURE, CORROSION OR FATIGUE COULD OCCUR WITH THE SUSPECT COMPONENTS. NUMEROUS CASES OF THIS NOISE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED ON HYUNDAI INTERNET FORUMS, BUT HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICA HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THERE IS AN ISSUE. *TR