NHTSA Complaint #11044183 — 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

MILEAGE AROUND 82,000 MILES | ALWAYS HAD ROUTINE, ON TIME, MAINTENANCE | NO ENGINE LIGHT ON (OR ANY OTHERS) | ON A TRIP DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING AROUND 65MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET (2 ADULTS AND 1 CHILD IN THE CAR, NOT TOWING ANYTHING), OUR SUV STARTED MAKING A STRANGE NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING, THEN PROGRESSED TO A CONSISTENT NOISE WHETHER ACCELERATING OR NOT. WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO STOP IN THE NEXT TOWN (ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY) TO TAKE A LOOK, BUT BEFORE WE COULD REACH THE NEXT TOWN THE CAR WITHOUT WARNING SHUT DOWN, STARTED SMOKING, AND PIECES OF THE CAR FELL FROM BELOW THE CAR. MY HUSBAND RAISED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE, AND QUICKLY PUT IT OUT. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND JUST BY RAISING THE HOOD THE MECHANIC KNEW THE ENGINE EXPLODED, AND INFORMED US IT WOULD BE AROUND $6500 FOR A USED ENGINE. FROM THE TIME THE NOISE FIRST STARTED UNTIL THE ENGINE BLEW UP WE DROVE 12 MILES. WE HAVE TRIED CONTACTING HYUNDAI TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE ISSUE, AFTER WAITING ON HOLD FOR 30+MINUTES ALL THEY CAN SAY IS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO SINCE WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, WHEN WE ASK TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER ONE IS NEVER THERE AND THEY PROMISE THAT WILL HAVE THE MANAGER CALL US BACK, BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A PHONE CALL. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES HAVING ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE. MY HUSBAND USED TO SELL HYUNDAI'S AND KNOWS FOR A FACT THAT THE SANTA FE AND SONATA'S HAVE THE SAME ENGINE - THE 2011-12 SONATA ENGINE HAD A RECALL, WHY DIDN'T THE SANTA FE HAVE A RECALL? THE SANTA FE IS MY SECOND HYUNDAI TO OWN, I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER DUE TO THE ISSUES WITH MY SANTA FE AND LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. SIDE NOTE, WHY WOULD I SPEND $6500 ON ANOTHER ENGINE, WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE AN EXPLODING PATTERN.