NHTSA Complaint #11030680 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA

I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ENGINE LOSS IN 2015 WHILE TRAVELLING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN MY 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS AN ENGINE DEBRIS PROBLEM. THIS WAS PRIOR TO HYUNDAI DISCLOSING THAT IT HAD A KNOWN ENGINE DEBRIS FLAW WITH THE ENGINE. RATHER THAN SCRAPPING A FOUR-YEAR OLD VEHICLE, I HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED BECAUSE THE REST OF THE VEHICLE WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT NEW 2011 SONATA THETA II ENGINES WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN (BECAUSE OF THE HIGH FAILURE RATE) SO A LOW MILEAGE (53K) USED THETA II ENGINE FROM A DIFFERENT 2011 SONATA WAS OBTAINED BY MY MECHANIC AND INSTALLED IN MY VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS OCCURRED BEFORE IT BECAME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT THE ALABAMA MANUFACTURED THETA II ENGINE HAD INHERENT AND DANGEROUS FLAWS. TRAGICALLY BUT PREDICTABLY THE NEW ENGINE IS NOW EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE OLD ONE. UPON INSPECTION THE ENGINE WAS DIAGNOSED BY MY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AS HAVING FAILED THE CAMPAIGN 132 DIAGNOSTIC TEST. HYUNDAI HAS HOWEVER REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY REMEDY TO THIS SECOND ENGINE PROBLEM, SAYING THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO PROVIDE REMEDY BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS SOURCED FROM A DIFFERENT 2011 SONATA (AND THAT THE ENGINE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL ONE). IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO DENY COMPENSATION BECAUSE I HAD THE UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE OF BEING THE RECIPIENT OF NOT ONE, BUT TWO ENGINES THAT FAILED DUE TO THE SAME FAULTY DESIGN FLAW. HYUNDAI SHOULD STAND BEHIND ITS FAULTY PRODUCT AND PROVIDE A REMEDY TO THE PROBLEM OF THEIR MAKING.