NHTSA Complaint #10850000 — 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES A "SCRAPING" NOISE WHEN TURNED. HYUNDAI SAYS THIS IS "NORMAL"; HOWEVER, UP UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE CAR NEVER MADE THIS NOISE. MY WIFE AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR ANYMORE; HOWEVER, HYUNDAI REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. MY WIFE AND I OWN A SECOND VEHICLE THAT IS THE EXACT SAME MAKE AND MODEL AND IT DOES NOT MAKE THIS SOUND. SINCE THE STEERING COLUMN IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE -AND INCLUDES THE AIR BAG COMPONENTS, ETC., WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD CAUSE PREMATURE DETONATION OF THE AIRBAG AND/OR SOME KIND OF STEERING FAILURE. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND WE ARE CONCERNED NOT JUST FOR OUR OWN SAFETY BUT FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL HYUNDAI OWNERS DRIVING WITH THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, WHEN I TRIED TO ESCALATE THE COMPLAINT TO HYUNDAI'S CUSTOMER CARE, THE SUPERVISOR (MR. JULIO O.) REFUSED TO ESCALATE THE COMPLAINT -WHICH CAUSES ME GRAVE CONCERN THAT HYUNDAI IS OBSTRUCTING THE COMPLAINT PROCESS IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT PROFIT MARGINS.