NHTSA Complaint #10551431 — 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA

CASE NO. [XXX] I PURCHASED MY 2007 SONATA FROM THE DENVILLE, NJ DEALERSHIP IN MAY 2007. WITH ONLY 38,000 MILES ON ODOMETER I HAD THE SCARE OF MY LIFE.DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE DIED, AND I LOST ALL POWER. THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON. THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND SAFELY STOP THE CAR. AFTER 2 MINUTES I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR. IT STARTED AND I DROVE IT HOME WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. I CHECKED THAT ALL FLUIDS WERE OK. NEXT DAY DRIVING TO WORK, COMING DOWN A LONG GRADE, CAR ENGINE DIED AND AGAIN I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A AAA SERVICE STATION AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED AND INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR,(TPS) WHICH THEY FOUND A TECH SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBING THE SYMPTOMS AND CONDITION. THEY GAVE ME A COPY OF SAID BULLETIN. THEY NOTED THAT EVEN IF THEY INSTALLED THE PART, I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A HYUNDAI DEALER PERFORM ECU SOFTWARE UPDATE. THEREFORE, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND HAD THEM MAKE THE REPAIR. I EXPECTED THAT THIS WOULD BE A 'RECALL' BY HYUNDAI, AS FAILURE OF THIS PART COULD BE LIFE THREATENING, AS IT WAS IN MY CASE. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT HONOR ANY WARRANTY SERVICE AND I WAS CHARGED $252.24. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE REPLACED PART.. I AM RASKED HYUNDAI MOTORS OF AMERICA TO SHOW GOOD FAITH TO A LOYAL CUSTOMER, BY REIMBURSING ME FOR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS KNOWN FAILING PART.. THEIR RESPONSE:" TSB ARE NOT RECALLS. DEALERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THESE AND ARE ASKED TO PERFORM THEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES WHEN THEY COME IN FOR OTHER SERVICE. I VEHICLE OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, THEN THE REPAIR IS AN OUT OF POCKET COST TO CUSTOMER. THEY APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED." THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME SAYING THIS PART WAS NOT A RECALL. HOW OUTRAGEOUS OF THEM! *TR