NHTSA Complaint #10682832 — 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE AT NORMAL SPEED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD, THERE WAS ANOTHER VEHICLE CLOSER TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN OPPOSING TRAFFIC ON A TWO LANE ROAD. AS I SWERVED A BIT TO THE RIGHT IN AN EFFORT TO GIVE THE OPPOSING VEHICLE MORE ROOM, I WENT TOO FAR TO THE BRIM OF THE ROAD. AS I TRIED TO CORRECT IT, I LOST TOTAL CONTROL OF THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING ME TO DRIVE STRAIGHT ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE WENT HEAD ONTO INTO THE TREE, BOUNCED OFF, AND SLID BACKWARDS DOWN INTO A DRAINAGE CULVERT. THERE WAS MELTING SNOW ON THE BRIM OF THE ROAD, BUT THE ROAD ITSELF HAD NO WEATHER RELATED PROBLEMS THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE STEERING WAS LOCKED, TURNED TO THE LEFT AT 10:00 POSITION, AND BOTH STEER TIRES WERE POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE STEER TIRES HAD LESS THAN 1,000 ON THEM. *TR