NHTSA Complaint #11035742 — 2012 HYUNDAI GENESIS

SINCE NEW IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT. AT FIRST IT WOULD BE ALIGNED AND THEN IT WOULD TAKE 5000 MILES TO MOVE OUT OF SPEC (BAD ON ALL NUMBERS, BUT CAMBER AND CASTER ARE THE WORST). SERVICE HAS TRIED TO CLAIM IT RECEIVED FRAME DAMAGE AT SOME POINT. AFTER CONDUCTING AN UNDERCAR REVIEW THERE APPEARS TO BE NO DAMAGED SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. THERE IS A NON-STRUCTURAL PLASTIC SUPPORT AT THE BASE OF THE RADIATOR THAT WAS DISTORTED WHEN THE CAR STRUCK A TIRE TREAD ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY THE INSURANCE CARRIER, DETERMINED BRACE NOT STRUCTURAL AND DID NOT REPLACE, TREATED FOR COSMETIC DAMAGE AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. PRIOR TO THIS THE VEHICLE ALREADY HAD ISSUES WITH PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, PULLING TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT. FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 25,000 MILES I HAVE BEEN HAVING THE VEHICLE RE-ALIGNED EACH 3000 MILES. AT ONE TIME WE'D BE ABLE TO ALIGN THE SUSPENSION BUT WITHIN 500 MILES IT WOULD BEGIN MOVING BACK OUT OF SPEC. CURRENTLY THE MECHANICS ARE FINDING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO GET IT WITHIN SPEC. THE FACT THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE OVER TIME, IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE MUST BE EITHER AN UNDERLYING DESIGN FLAW, OR THERE IS A COMPONENT FAILURE OCCURRING SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE HYUNDAI GENESIS HAS NO MECHANISM TO HANDLE CASTER OR CAMBER ADJUSTMENT. THE MECHANICS HAVE ALL STATED THAT THE ONLY OPTION TO ENABLE THE VEHICLE TO BE PROPERLY ALIGNED IS THE INSTALLATION OF A 'CAMBER/CASTER ADJUSTMENT KIT'. HOWEVER THEY SAY THIS ISN'T SOMETHING AVAILABLE FROM HYUNDAI (THOUGH I HAVE READ OTHERWISE FROM ONLINE SOURCES), AND SINCE THE VEHICLE IS STILL WITHIN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN I AM HESITANT TO HAVE SUCH A PRODUCT INSTALLED ANYWHERE BUT AT A DEALERSHIP AS I EXPECT IT WOULD LEAD TO ADDITIONAL FINGER-POINTING AND WARRANTY DEBATE DOWN THE ROAD.