NHTSA Complaint #11140238 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA

NHTSA IN DECEMBER 2015 THE ENGINE ON OUR 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA FAILED WHILE ACCELERATING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC ON A VERY BUSY HWY 101 IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. WE BROUGHT OUR VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED IT IN MAY 2011. THE FOLLOWING MORNING WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE ENGINE HAD FAILED AND THAT HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICAN HAS AUTHORIZED THEM TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT NO COST TO US. AFTERWARDS, WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK COMPLAINING OF 1. A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND 2. A TOXIC SMELL INVADING THE PASSENGER CABIN SEEMINGLY COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE EITHER OF THESE CONDITIONS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS WITH THEM. AFTER SEVERAL RETURN VISITS WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SOUND AND SMELL WERE DUE TO A FAILED 'MOTOR ASSEMBLY' NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. WE WERE CHARGED APPROXIMATELY $575 DESPITE OUR OBJECTIVES ASSERTING THAT THE FAILED MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS THE RESULT OF FAULTY WORK WHEN THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED LEST THE OTHER 3 MOTOR ASSEMBLIES WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED. WE WERE EVENTUALLY REIMBURSED BUT NOT MY THE DEALERSHIP BUT RATHER BY HYUNDAI N.A.. WE AGAIN MENTIONED OUR COMPLAINT ABOUT THE FREQUENT TOXIC SMELL TO HYUNDAI N.A. REQUESTING THAT THEY BUY THE VEHICLE BACK FROM US BASED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED CONDITIONS. WE WERE ADVISED THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR BUY BACK, RATHER HYUNDAI N.A. OFFERED A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT FOR $2,000. WE RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND SIGNED THE RELEASE BELIEVING THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER FORUM FOR US TO SEEK REMEDIES EXCEPT THROUGH THE COSTLY COURT SYSTEM. WE REGRET HAVING ACCEPTED THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT EACH TIME THE TOXIC SMELL INVADES THE PASSENGER CABIN. AFTER THE RECENT NEWS REPORTS WE ARE NOW FEARFUL THAT OUR 2011 SONATA WILL BURST INTO FLAMES.