NHTSA Complaint #10557417 — 2007 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

AT A SLOW SPEED WHILE TURNING (EITHER DIRECTION, AS INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED NOW 3 TIMES IN 10 WEEKS) VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER TO STEER AND BRAKE. FEELS LIKE THE CAR HAS DIED, HOWEVER THE BATTERY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ARE ON. WHEN IT RESOLVED, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BRAKES AND STEERING RESTORED. FIRST TWO TIMES THE POWER FAILURE WAS MOMENTARILY. THIRD TIME THE VEHICLE LOST POWER FOR 3-4 MINUTES AND STRANDED ME WHILE TURNING ONTO MAJOR ROAD FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HAD CAR TOWED TO LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER WHO KEPT INSISTING THEY WOULD NEED TO SEE THE VEHICLE FAIL IN ORDER TO KNOW HOW TO REPAIR IT. I SAID NOT GOOD ENOUGH, THEY NEED TO FIND ANOTHER METHOD TO TROUBLE SHOOT AND REFUSED TO PICK UP VEHICLE. NOW THE DEALER IS BLAMING THE POWER LOSS ON WORN FRONT TIRES AND THE ESC SYSTEM CUTTING POWER TO THE ENGINE, STEERING AND BRAKES DUE TO IT SENSING SLIPPAGE. I'M NOT BUYING THIS EXPLANATION FROM THE DEALER, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF (1) THE SLOW SPEED (NO SLIPPING TIRES IN THESE THREE INSTANCES), AND (2) TIRES HAVE SLIPPED ON QUICK ACCELERATION BEFORE WITHOUT ESC SYSTEM CUTTING POWER TO BRAKES & STEERING, AND (3) IF THIS WERE THE CASE, I WOULD THINK ESC WOULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND NOT DESIGNED TO SAVE LIVES! WILL FILE COMPLAINT WITH HYUNDAI AMERICA BUT I DON'T HAVE MUCH FAITH THAT THEY WILL BE OF HELP. *TR