NHTSA Complaint #10993785 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA

MY 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA STARTED HAVING A TERRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE WHILE ACCELLERATING ON JUNE 3, 2017, AND I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO OUR LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP, BAKERSFIELD HYUNDAI, FOR MY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT YESTERDAY. I BELIEVE THAT THE ISSUE IS MOST LIKELY RELATED TO RECALL 132/TXX3. WHAT HAS ME FRUSTRATED IS THAT I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION WHEN FIRST NOTIFIED OF THE ENGINE ISSUES. AT THAT TIME, MY CAR HAD ABOUT 90,000 MILES AND HYUNDAI CLAIMED NO ISSUES WERE FOUND. BASED UPON MY CAR'S CURRENT CONDITION AT 116,000 MILES, I BELIEVE THAT THE ISSUE WAS ALWAYS THERE, JUST NOT IDENTIFIED BY HYUNDAI CORRECTLY. THIS PLACED ALL DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS IN MY HOUSEHOLD AT CONSIDERABLE RISK. IN FACT, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY VEHICLE OF MY TEENAGE SON! AS A NEW DRIVER, HE WOULD MOST LIKELY NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED! I HAVE ALSO HAD TO MISS TIME FROM WORK AND HAD TO PAY $54 FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED. ALL OF WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF HYUNDAI HAD BEEN MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT REPLACING THE ENGINES. NOW THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS ARE TELLING ME THAT THERE ENGINES ARE ON BACKORDER FOR UP TO 9 WEEKS! THE SAID THAT I MAY QUALIFY FOR A RENTAL, BUT I DOUBT THAT MY TEENAGE SON, WHO DRIVES THE CAR TO SCHOOL, SPORT ACTIVITIES AND WORK WILL BE ABLE TO USE A RENTAL SINCE HE IS UNDER 18. HYUNDAI HAS KNOWN OF THE NEED TO REPLACE THESE ENGINES AND SHOULD HAVE INCREASED MANUFACTURING REPLACEMENTS AS SOON AS THEY BECAME AWARE OF THE ISSUES. I AM ALSO WONDERING WHAT GUARANTEES WILL BE IN PLACE WITH THE NEW ENGINE BLOCK.