NHTSA Complaint #10643988 — 2009 HYUNDAI GENESIS

THE CAR HAD RECENTLY GOTTEN A MAJOR SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP IN EARLY AUGUST. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN MUCH SINCE THAT SERVICE AS THE PRIMARY DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR FROM MID AUGUST THROUGH THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS IS A CAR THAT WAS WELL MAINTAINED THROUGH DEALERSHIP SERVICING. THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE FREEWAY AT NIGHT AT THE APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 65 MPH. SUDDENLY, A LOUD METALLIC CLANK, CLANK CLANK CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. IT SOUNDED AS IF WE HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING ON THE FREEWAY. DIRECTLY FOLLOWING THIS, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AND WE NOTICED THE SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING. WE WERE UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO DIM. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO STEER THE CAR OFF THE NEXT OFF RAMP & BRING THE CAR TO A STOP BUT THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKING WERE GONE. HAD THIS NOT OCCURRED ON A SUNDAY NIGHT, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT. ONCE SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF , WE SMELLED A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE DID NOT WITNESS EVIDENCE OF FIRE OR SMOKE. INITIALLY, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT COMPLETELY. THEY SLOWLY POWERED BACK ON BUT EACH TIME KEYLESS START BUTTON WAS PUSHED, THE LIGHTS WOULD BEGIN TO DIM AGAIN. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED THE FOLLOWING DAY TO LET US KNOW THAT THE ENGINE HAD A HOLE IN THE BLOCK. FROM THEIR ASSESSMENT, THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY AN EXTERNAL FORCE BUT FROM THE FAILURE OF AN INTERNAL COMPONENT. WE FILED A CLAIM WITH HYUNDAI CORPORATE WHO DEEMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *TR