NHTSA Complaint #10630440 — 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

THE ESC OFF LIGHT TURNED ON BY ITSELF. WHEN PUSHING THE BUTTON FOR THE ESC OFF, NOTHING HAPPENED. A FEW DAYS LATER I NOTICED A MINOR STUTTER-STEP OF THE CAR'S FORWARD MOTION WITH A SLIGHT GRINDING NOISE, AND THE ESC OFF LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE ESC OFF LIGHT STAYED ILLUMINATED. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, I SHUT THE CAR OFF THEN TURNED IT ON AGAIN. THE ESC LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. AUGUST 27, 2014, I LEFT MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP AND PROCEEDED TO WORK, THEY "FOUND DAMAGE TO LEFT-FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND LEFT-FRONT TONE WHEEL. THEY ALSO STATED BOTH THE SPEED SENSOR AND LEFT-FRONT TONE WHEEL NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE FURTHER DIAGNOSIS COULD BE PERFORMED. AUGUST 30, 2014, I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 M.P.H. WHEN TRAFFIC AHEAD BEGAN SLOWING. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR DIDN'T JUST STUTTER & GRIND, IT WAS LIKE ONE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WASN'T BRAKING AT ALL AND THE OTHER SIDE WAS BREAKING HARD. THE CAR JERKED SIDE TO SIDE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE THEN SEEMED TO RIGHT ITSELF. THE ESC OFF LIGHT WAS NOW ILLUMINATED AGAIN. IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ANY FASTER, OR IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC, THIS CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I FEEL THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW, NOT AN ERROR ON MY PART AS THE CONSUMER, AND BELIEVE THIS TO BE A LIFE AND DEATH SAFETY ISSUE. MY BRAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN WORKED ON AND THERE'S NO LOGICAL REASON FOR THE SPEED SENSOR AND LEFT-FRONT TONE WHEEL TO BE DAMAGED. *TR