NHTSA Complaint #10821610 — 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

MY 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS A DESIGN PROBLEM. THE CUP HOLDER IS LEVEL AND NEXT-TO THE GEAR SHIFTER. WHEN I BRAKE, OCCASIONALLY FLUID FROM A BEVERAGE MAY FALL ONTO AND INTO THE GEAR SHIFTER. THE SHIFTER ENCLOSURE ALLOWS FLUID TO FLOW INTO IT AND COLLECT AROUND A CONNECTOR PROVIDING ELECTRICAL SIGNALS THAT END-UP COMMUNICATING TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER'AND THEN ONTO THE TRANSMISSION THAT I DOWNSHIFTED WHEN I DID NOT DOWN SHIFT. THE RESULT IS I HAVE TO FLIP OVER TO 'SHIFTRIONIC' MODE BECAUSE THE CAR IS PERFORMING LIKE I PUT IT IN THAT MODE WHEN I DID NOT. I TRY TO UPSHIFT BUT IT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY'I END UP BEING DISTRACTED TRYING TO PUT THE CAR IN THE RIGHT GEAR AND THE CAR ENDS UP GOING FASTER THAN I INTENDED. I GENERALLY DON'T NOTICE THE DOWNSHIFT UNTIL THE ENGINE STARTS ROARING'.DROPPING INTO SECOND GEAR ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY IS VERY UNSETTLING. AGAIN, I TRY TO MAINTAIN MY SPEED BY PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR AND ATTEMPTING TO UPSHIFT AND IT'S VERY DISTRACTING. I HAVE HAD A 'PLUS 5' DRIVER RATING FOR OVER 2 DECADES AND I OWN TWO OTHER CARS AND I NEVER BEEN TICKETED WITH EITHER CAR. BUT I RECENTLY HAVE BEEN TICKETED TWICE WITH THE SONATA AND IN BOTH CASES THE CAR DOWN-SHIFTED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. THE PROBLEM STARTED SPORADICALLY ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND INITIALLY I DID NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE FOR THE BEVERAGE SPILL TO CREATE A SHIFTER MALFUNCTION, SO IT'S NOT OBVIOUS WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR A WHILE. THE PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT THERE ARE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IT IS A SIMPLE BUT POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW.