NHTSA Complaint #10715071 — 2012 HYUNDAI TUCSON

HELLO, I PURCHASED A 2012 HYUNDAI TUSCON, 2WD, AND HAD A TERRIBLE TIME IN THIS VEHICLE DURING SNOWY/WET WEATHER. I LIVE IN SILVER SPRING, MD, AND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN SNOW ON FEBRUARY 21, 2015. THE VEHICLE SKIDDED, THE TIRES SPUN, AND THE CAR GOT STUCK SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, THE ESC (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) HAD TO BE MANUALLY DISABLED IN ORDER TO KEEP FROM BEING REAR ENDED, AS THIS FUNCTIONS MORE LIKE A BRAKE--THAN A FEATURE TO DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. I'M ORIGINALLY FROM CHICAGO, IL, AND AM QUITE USED TO DRIVING VEHICLES IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. THIS WAS A MOST UNUSUAL AND SCARY EXPERIENCE WITH THE TUSCON. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND CAME ACROSS SEVERAL COMPLAINTS, LABELING THE STOCK TIRES ON THE TUSCON AS 'HAZARDOUS' IN SNOWY/WET CONDITIONS. APPARENTLY, OTHER DRIVERS HAVE NOTICED THESE TIRES LOSE ALL TRACTION DURING SNOWY/WET WEATHER. I'M NOT SURE IF OTHER FACTORS BESIDE THE TIRES IMPACTED THE CAR'S SCARY PERFORMANCE DURING WET/SNOWY CONDITIONS. I DID CONTACT HYUNDAI, AND THEY ASKED ME TO HAVE THE CAR INSPECTED, WHICH I DID. AFTER THAT I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE COMPANY TELLING ME THEY HAD FOUND NO PROBLEM AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE DISCUSSION. IF THE PROBLEM IS LIMITED TO THE TIRES, THEN CONSUMERS NEED TO BE MADE AWARE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASING A HYUNDAI TUSCON THAT THE TIRES STOCKED BY HYUNDAI ARE POTENTIALLY TREACHEROUS IN WET/SNOWY CONDITIONS. *TR