NHTSA Complaint #10648708 — 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

OUR ELANTRA BEGAN MAKING GRINDING NOISES WHEN WE PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE BRAKES OR ROTOR WERE DEFECTIVE. WHEN THE SHOP INSPECTED THE CAR, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE NOISE, AND TOLD US THE CAR WAS IN PERFECT SHAPE. OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER WHEN BRAKING, PLUS IT BEGAN MAKING A WHUMP-WHUMP-WHUMP NOISE THAT APPEARED TO BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SPEED AND ROTATION OF THE WHEELS. THE SOUND WOULD INCREASE WHEN WE STEERED THE CAR TO THE RIGHT, AND WOULD DECREASE WHEN WE STEERED LEFT. THE WHUMPS WERE BARELY AUDIBLE AT 5 MPH, BUT WERE OVERLY LOUD AT 40 MPH. I THOUGHT IT WAS PLASTIC TRIM FLUTTERING IN THE WIND, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING LOOSE. WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AGAIN, I THINK IN AUGUST, I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE THAT THEY NEEDED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE WHUMP NOISES AND THE GRINDING NOISES WHEN WE APPLIED THE BRAKES. THIS TIME THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE BOLT HOLDING THE LEFT WHEEL COMING UNSCREWED. THEY TIGHTENED THE BOLT UNDER WARRANTY REPAIR SERVICE, AND THE CAR HAS NOT MADE THE WHUMP NOISE OR HAD GRINDING BRAKES SINCE THE REPAIR. I DOUBT THIS PROBLEM WAS LIMITED TO ONE CAR IN THE FLEET, AND I BELIEVE HYUNDAI SHOULD HAVE ISSUED AN ADVISORY TO THEIR SHOP MANAGERS TO BE WATCHING FOR THIS PROBLEM SO THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND AND CORRECTED THE FIRST TIME THAT WE TOOK THE CAR IN. *TR