NHTSA Complaint #11023494 — 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

MY SANTA FE HAS ONLY 78,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED VERY WELL. DESPITE THIS, DURING OUR EVACUATION FOR HURRICANE IRMA, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER STRAIN, WE WERE NOT TOWING ANYTHING AND ONLY HAD 2 PERSONS IN THE CAR. WE WERE LEFT HAVING TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE I WAS INFORMED THE THE THETA II 2.4L ENGINE THAT WAS IN MY VEHICLE WAS ON RECALL. HOWEVER THE RECALL ONLY COVERED THIS ENGINE IN THE HYUNDAI SONATA MODELS AND FOR SOME REASON WAS NOT COVERED IN THE SANTA FE. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY AN IDENTICAL ENGINE WOULD BE RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM IN ONE MODEL VEHICLE BUT NOT IN ANOTHER. I HAD EVEN HAD THE OIL CHANGED 3 WEEKS PRIOR, WHICH THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT EVERYTHING APPEARED FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND IN GOOD WORKING ORDER WITH THE OIL, TRANSMISSION AND COOLING SYSTEM.