NHTSA Complaint #10715370 — 2009 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

I WAS DRIVING MY WHITE HYUNDAI SANTA FE LIMITED, 3.3L, 6CYL SUV HOME FROM WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME. I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 70 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUTS DOWN AND I LOSE STEERING CONTROL AND BRAKES, VEERING ONTO A NARROW SHOULDER AND INTO A SLOPE THAT SENT MY SUV INTO A SWAMP DITCH, SUBMERGING THE SUV UP PAST THE FLOORBOARDS. MY INSURANCE CLAIM SPECIALIST NOTIFIED ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS, AND PAID A CLAIM PAYOUT AND SETTLEMENT FAR LESS THAN THE AMOUNT STILL OWED ON THE VEHICLE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT A CYBER-ATTACK SIGNAL SENT TO THE SUV'S ENGINE IMMOBILIZER SWITCH, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING, ELECTRONICALLY. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED FROM ANY HAND HELD DEVICE, MOBIL PHONE, LAP TOP COMPUTER, SATELLITE FEED, ETC. ALL THAT IS REQUIRED IS A VIN NUMBER, AND ANY SIGNAL TO THE ENGINE IMMOBILIZER SWITCH CAN SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE DANGEROUSLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LOWER SPEEDS OF 20MPH, WHERE I WOULD JUST TURN THE IGNITION KEY, THE SUV WOULD START THE ENGINE, AND I WOULD PROCEED. HOWEVER, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I DID NOT HAVE THIS OPTION.