NHTSA Complaint #10748631 — 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA

ON AUGUST 7, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 PM, I WAS COMING BACK FROM RUNNING AN ERRAND WITH MY 16-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR WITH ME. I MADE A RIGHT-HAND TURN WHEN SUDDENLY, ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. ADDITIONALLY, I LOST ALL POWER STEERING, ETC. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY, BUT ALMOST GOT REAR-ENDED BY A PICKUP TRUCK THAT WAS FOLLOWING ME. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND STARTED IT UP AGAIN. THE CAR SEEMED FINE AT THAT POINT, AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY SHORT DRIVE BACK TO MY HOME (APPROXIMATELY 1.25 MILES). WHEN I ARRIVED AT HOME AND PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS FLICKERING SLIGHTLY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING (8/8/15), I CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL IN THE ENGINE, AND NOTED THAT IT WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE FILL LINE. I ADDED SOME SYNTHETIC OIL TO THE ENGINE, CHECKED THE LEVEL AND NOTED THAT IT WAS ADEQUATE. I STARTED THE ENGINE TO GO RUN SOME ERRANDS. THE CAR SEEMED FINE AT FIRST, BUT WHEN I WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES FROM MY HOME, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER AGAIN WHILE THE CAR WAS IDLING (AT A STOP LIGHT, ETC.) I CALLED MY HUSBAND RIGHT AWAY, WHO TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR HOME. I NOTED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SOMEWHAT OF A TICKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING IT. WHEN I WAS APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER-MILE FROM HOME, THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING/BANGING VERY LOUDLY. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE CAR OFF, CALLED MY HUSBAND, AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC'S SHOP. ON TUESDAY, 8/11/15, MY MECHANIC REMOVED THE OIL PAN AND INFORMED ME THAT THE BEARINGS WERE FAILING, WHICH CAUSED METAL SHARDS TO CLOG THE OIL PUMP FILTER, AND HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE OIL PAN WAS FULL OF SHARDS. THIS CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED!!!