NHTSA Complaint #10908200 — 2011 HYUNDAI GENESIS

COMPLAINT: TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE DUE TO ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. AFTER RECALL 13V113000, 04/01/13, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS: SWITCH WAS FIXED BY DEALERSHIP, WE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH INTERIOR LIGHTS FAILING, THEN WITH LICENSE PLATE LIGHT BLOWING OUT, AND AS TIME WENT ON OTHER ELECTRICAL THINGS NOT WORKING- BUT ONLY INTERMITTENTLY - WOULD NOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM WHEN WE HAD IT LOOKED AT. FINALLY, AT A CITY STREET STOPLIGHT, MY HUSBAND DRIVING AND I AM IN PASSENGER SEAT, I NOTICED WISP OF SMOKE. CAR THEN FILLED WITH SMOKE THAT SMELLED LIKE BURNING ELECTRICAL. OPENED WINDOWS, SEEMED TO CLEAR, ONLY A MILE TO DESTINATION, AND NOTHING SEEMED WRONG OTHERWISE. WHEN WE STOPPED, CHECKED ALL OVER VEHICLE AND COULD NOT SEE PROBLEM. CAR SAT AN HOUR. WHEN TIME TO LEAVE, CAR WOULD NOT GO IN GEAR, AND DASHBOARD WARNINGS APPEARED. WHILE CAR TURNED OFF, REVERSE LIGHTS CAME ON AND WE COULD NOT MAKE GO OFF. CAR TOWED TO SHOP. TOOK TWO WEEKS FOR SHOP TO FIGURE OUT PROBLEM WAS IN WIRING HARNESS ALONG PASSENGER FRONT AND REAR. MANY WIRES HAD INSULATION MELTED AND/OR CHARRED, LEAVING THEM EXPOSED AND TOUCHING. GEICO DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS - EVEN IF THE WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED, WOULD STILL NOT KNOW CAUSE. PHOTOS ATTACHED. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS SO IF IT IS BECAUSE OF A COMMON ISSUE, MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE THE CHANCE OF BEING FIXED SO OTHERS MIGHT NOT LOSE THEIR CAR TO THIS PROBLEM.