NHTSA Complaint #10809827 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA

I HAVE A 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA WITH APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MILES. IN 2015 THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED TWICE WHILE ON BUT PARKED. THE ESC AND POWER STEERING INDICATORS WERE ON. AFTER A WHILE THE ISSUES SPONTANEOUSLY RESOLVED IN THESE INSTANCES AND THE VEHICLE ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. IN OCTOBER 2015 THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A CITY STREET (SPEED <40MPH). I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND NAVIGATE RESULTING IN SEVERAL NEAR MISSES WITH STREET PARKED VEHICLES BEFORE BEING ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY DROVE THE VEHICLE AROUND AND "RECALIBRATED IT." TWO MONTHS LATER WHILE AGAIN TRAVELING ON CITY STREETS (<40MPH) THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND I WAS UNABLE TO STEER, AGAIN ALMOST RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT CRASH. DURING THIS INCIDENT THE SAME ECS AND POWER STEERING INDICATORS LIT UP. UNABLE TO STEER I WAS FORCED TO STOP AND TURN OFF MY VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD. HOWEVER, ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY UNTIL SOMEONE WHO CAME TO ASSIST ME SHUT OFF THE CAR BATTERY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE UPON SHOWING THEM VIDEO THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS OCCUR IN HIS 20 YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT. THE CAR IS SCHEDULED TO BE ASSESSED ON MONDAY. INTERNET SEARCHES SHOW OTHER VIDEOS OF THIS MAKE/MODEL WITH THE SAME VIOLENTLY SHAKING WHEEL AND REPORTS OF ACCIDENT CLOSE-CALLS. MY SPECIFIC CAR WAS PART OF AN EARLIER RECALL (CAMPAIGN 097) RELATED TO POWER STEERING THAT WAS REPORTEDLY FIXED AT THAT TIME, THEREFORE THIS CAR CLEARLY HAS KNOWN PROBLEMS IN THIS DOMAIN. I WILL NEVER GET BACK IN THIS VEHICLE AND WILL LIKELY LOSE MONEY ON A TRADE IN. THERE ARE CLEARLY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RESOLVED BY THE EARLIER RECALL. VIDEO LINK: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=MSQE_QUK50U UPDATED 8/21/2017*JS