NHTSA Complaint #10506087 — 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I HEARD A CLANKING NOISE. IT GOT VERY LOUD WITH ACCELERATION. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ON, OR OVER HEATING, SMOKE, OR ANY SIGNS OF A PROBLEM OTHER THAN THE NOISE. I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, AND AS I DID SO, THE CAR DIED. LONG STORY SHORT, (AS THIS HAS NOW BEEN A MONTH OF A NIGHTMARE) THE MECHANICS AT THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS VERY LOW ON OIL. I DROVE FROM SAN DIEGO AND WAS ON MY WAY TO SAN ANTONIO, SO OF COURSE I MADE SURE THE OIL WAS OKAY BEFORE I LEFT. I HAD JUST PAID MY TAGS AND HAD IT SMOG CHECKED AND OIL WAS CHECKED AND FINE. SINCE SPEAKING WITH MANY MECHANICS, I HAVE FOUND IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT THIS ENGINE IS DEFECTED AND HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET BECAUSE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE FILED FORMAL COMPLAINTS. THE ENGINE ITSELF IS MORE EXPENSIVE THE V-6! I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CAR RUNS FINE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN DIES BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE FILTER SUCKING UP OIL. THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP CHANGED MY OIL AND MY CAR TURNED BACK ON, KNOCKING, BUT ON. I HAD ANOTHER MECHANIC LOOK AT IT, AND HE SAID THERE WAS NO OIL IN IT, SO I KNOW THE FILTER IS SUCKING IT UP. I ONLY REALIZED THIS PROBLEM AFTER SEEING MANY MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ON CARS.COM CHAT BOARDS, OF THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENING TO THEM, AND FROM HEARING ABOUT IT FROM DIFFERENT MECHANICS I'VE SPOKE WITH. THE LAST MECHANIC I SPOKE WITH AT AAMCO, CALLED HYUNDAI AND THEY TOLD HIM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WHY IT HAS NOT YET BEEN RECALLED. I ONLY HAD 117,000MLS ON IT. THAT MAY SOUND LIKE ALOT TO SOME, BUT I'VE OWNED MANY CARS AND THEY HAVE ALL LAST MUCH LONGER (A TOYOTA @ 334,00). THIS PROBLEM HAS COST ME MY JOB I MOVED TO SAN ANTONIO FOR, AS I AM NEW TO THE AREA AND CANNOT BE FINANCED ET. AND OWE 4,000+ ON MY SONATA STILL. ITS COST ME TONS OF MONEY OUT OF POCKET, TOWING, MECHANICS, RENTALS ETC. AND PHYSICALLY MADE ME ILL. A NEW OR REBUILT ENGINE: 3,000-7,000! *TR