NHTSA Complaint #10795296 — 2015 HYUNDAI TUCSON

WITH THE 2015 HYUNDAI TUCSON, WITHIN 12 HOURS OF OWNING THE CAR AND DRIVING IT OFF THE DEALERSHIP LOT, WE EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE KEY INDICATOR BLINKING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR AND CAR WOULD NOT START AT WORK. IT STARTED FINE AT HOME AN MOSTLY ANYWHERE ELSE. ONLY BY PRESSING THE FOB ITSELF ON PUSH BUTTON START, DID CAR START AT WORK PARKING LOT. IF FOB NOT PRESSED ONTO PUSH BUTTON, WOULD NOT START. DEALERSHIP REPLACED KEY FOB AND BATTERIES, DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. SERVICE DEPARTMENT MEMBER ACCOMPANIED US TO PARKING LOT, EXPERIENCED SAME ISSUE IN WORK PARKING LOT. WITH ASSISTANCE FROM SECURITY GUARDS AT WORK, REALIZED THIS ISSUE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN PARKING NEXT TO A SOLAR PANEL ON A SUNNY DAY AT WORK PARKING LOT. TO COMPENSATE FOR ISSUE NOW, CAR IS PARKED FARTHER AWAY FROM OFFICE BUILDING AS IT WAS DISCOVERED SOLAR PANELS ON LIGHT POLE INTERFERED WITH ANTENNA FOR KEY. SERVICE DEPT MEMBER FROM HYUNDAI SAID THEY BELIEVE THEY SAW AN EMAIL/SERVICE BULLETIN REFERENCING SUCH AN ISSUE, AND DID NOT SUGGEST ANY REMEDIATION EXCEPT TP PARK AWAY FROM THE LIGHT POLE. OUR WORKAROUND HAS BEEN TO PARK AWAY FROM SOLAR PANEL LIGHT POLES OR COVER THE SENSOR ON THE TOP OF THE DASHBOARD. THIS HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP'S SOLUTION WAS TO SEND AN EMAIL WITH THE HYUNDAI CORPORATE PHONE NUMBER FOR FURTHER ESCALATION. THIS IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR US AS MORE HOUSES AND COMPANIES ARE ERECTING SOLAR PANELS, AND NOW WILL WE HAVE TO PICK WHERE WE PARK OUR TUCSON BASED ON IF A SOLAR PANEL IS NEARBY. IF YOU LIVE NEAR SOLAR PANELS, DON'T BUY A TUCSON WITH A PUSH BUTTON STAR.