NHTSA Complaint #10965848 — 2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

CITY DRIVING; THERE WAS THE USUAL AMOUNT OF "STOP AND GO". AS I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, I NOTICED SOME SMOKE/STEAM COMING FROM SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE MY CAR. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER LOOKING AT MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE TO SEE IF IT WAS RUNNING HOT; BUT IT WAS STILL IN THE NORMAL RANGE. I ASSUMED IT WAS COMING FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE AROUND ME. THE NEXT TIME I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, I SAW THE SMOKE/STEAM AGAIN; THIS TIME I NOTICED THE DISTINCT "SWEET" SMELL ASSOCIATED TO A VEHICLE OVERHEATING. MY TEMP GAUGE WAS STILL REGISTERING AS NORMAL, BUT IT WAS CLEAR IT WAS COMING FROM MY VEHICLE. I TURNED THE HEAT ON UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE NEXT AVAILABLE PARKING LOT TO TURN OFF MY CAR AND LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER RESTARTING IT, THE TEMP GAUGE REGISTERED AS NORMAL AGAIN, SO I DROVE OFF. SHORTLY AFTER, THE TEMP GAUGE STARTED TO REGISTER THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING AND SMOKE/STEAM WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. JUST AS I WAS PULLING INTO ANOTHER PARKING LOT, THE TEMP GAUGE SPIKED. AFTER I PARKED AND LET THE ENGINE COOL A BIT, I OPENED THE HOOD AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT A HOSE OR SOMETHING HAD BURST; THERE WAS COOLANT SPEWED EVERYWHERE AND I SAW A SMALL HOLE IN ONE OF THE HOSES. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP; AFTER LOOKING AT IT, THEY SAID THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE SOME OIL/FLUID HAD BACKED UP INTO IT, APPARENTLY AT SOME POINT DURING THAT ORDEAL. I BELIEVE ONE OF TWO THINGS TO BE THE CAUSE: EITHER THE TEMP GAUGE/COMPONENT FAILED, THEREFORE NOT NOTIFYING ME OF THE ENGINE OVERHEATING; OR THE ENGINE WAS FAULTY. MY "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS NOT ON, AND DID NOT COME ON UNTIL AFTER THE TEMP GAUGE SPIKED. THIS ISSUE COST ME A TOTAL OF NEARLY $6000 IN REPAIRS, INCLUDING A NEW ENGINE AND THE COMPONENT THAT "TALKS" TO THE TEMP GAUGE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD; I BOUGHT IT USED AND HAD LESS THAN 2 YEARS.