NHTSA Complaint #11104263 — 2013 HYUNDAI TUCSON

ON JUNE 13, 2017, THE ENGINE IN THE TUCSON COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AFTER WORK. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IN CANYON, TEXAS. THE REPAIR SHOP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN A HOLE IN IT DUE TO NO FAULT OF SYDNEE PARKHURST AND WOULD NEED A COMPLETE REBUILD. RESEARCH WAS DONE AS TO WHAT OPTIONS WERE AVAILABLE. [XXX] CONTACTED THE VANDERGRIFF HYUNDAI IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND HYUNDAI MOTORS AMERICA FOR A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. RESEARCH HAD SHOWN THE SAME ENGINE WAS PUT INTO SEVERAL MODELS OF HYUNDAI VEHICLES. THIS SPECIFIC ENGINE MODEL WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION REGARDING THE 2011-2013 MODELS (BUT NOT THE 2013 TUCSON). THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE ENGINE AND SOME PARTS THREE (3) TIMES DUE TO MANUFACTURER ISSUES WITH THE PARTS FOR $8,751.28. AFTER MORE THAN SEVEN PHONE CALLS TO EACH VANDERGRIFF HYUNDAI AND HYUNDAI MOTORS AMERICA, IT WAS LEARNED THAT NEITHER WAS WILLING TO HELP OR OFFER ANY AID OR ASSISTANCE CLAIMING THAT BECAUSE IT WAS SOLD TO A SECOND OWNER, THEY COULD NOT CONFIRM WHETHER THE PRIOR OWNER HAD BEEN NEGLIGENT IN THEIR CARE OF THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SOLD AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. HYUNDAI BLAMED THE OWNER FOR THE DEFECT. AFTER THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED VANDERGRIFF CONTACTED THE OWNER ATTEMPTING TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE BACK FOR LESS THAN THE PURCHASE PRICE AND EXCLUDING THE COST OF THE ENGINE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR