NHTSA Complaint #10553298 — 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA

I NOTICED A SHUDDERING AT 90,250 MILES, WHILE TRAVELING DURING THE WINTER AT AROUND 30-45 MPH, BUT WAS VERY INTERMITTENT, AND WOULD GO AWAY. THEN ON 10/9/2013 AT 102,515 MILES, FROM PARK, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. I COULD HEAR THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT, BUT IT WAS NOT DISENGAGING FROM PARK. PER HYUNDAI SERVICE TECHNICIAN, THE TRANSMISSION WAS "JUNK" AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI CORPORATE, DURING WHICH TIME I WAS INFORMED THEY DIDN'T HAVE MY INFORMATION IN THEIR SYSTEM AND THAT IN FACT THERE WERE 2 RECALLS THAT THEY FAILED TO NOTIFY ME OF, AND WAS TOLD THAT IF I ALLOWED THE HYUNDAI SERVICE TO DO THE REPAIR RIGHT THEN, THAT I WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THEIR POLICY REIMBURSEMENT. ONE OF THE RECALLS WAS AN ECM AND TCM SOFTWARE UPDATE IN WHICH SYMPTOMS WERE IMPROPER CLUTCHING AND DE-CLUTCHING OF GEARS WHEN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING. THAT SHIFT QUALITY OVER TIME CAUSED UNDO STRESS ON THE GEARING CAUSING MY FAILURE. THE REPAIR WAS MADE, I THEN HAD TO PAY UPFRONT, AND A WEEK LATER THEY'VE DENIED MY POLICY REIMBURSEMENT CLAIM DUE TO FLUID BEING THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. I THEN PROVIDED THEM WITH FURTHER DOCUMENTATION SHOWING THAT THEIR OWN TECHNICIAN RE-USED 5 QUARTS OF MY ORIGINAL FLUID ON THE REPAIR ORDER, AND THAT I FOLLOWED THE MAINTENANCE RECORD THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY THEIR OWN TECHNICIANS ADVICE WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. DRAIN AND FILL EVERY 30,000 MILES. THE LAST DRAIN AND FILL WAS ON JUNE 14, 2013. HYUNDAI DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH ANY FLUID ANALYSIS OR SPECS TO SUPPORT THEIR DENIAL OF MY POLICY REIMBURSEMENT. I SAVED THE AGENTS VOICEMAIL OF THE DENIAL IN WHICH SHE STATED DUE TO "COLOR" AND THAT ALONE, WAS THE REASON WHY THE CLAIM WAS DENIED. *TR