NHTSA Complaint #11141262 — 2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

ON SUNDAY, MAY 20TH, 2018 AT AROUND 2:00 P.M. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH WARWICK CITY PARK WITH MY WIFE AND SON. UPON APPROACHING A SPEED BUMP, I SLOWED TO ABOUT 5 TO 10 MPH. IMMEDIATELY AFTER GOING OVER THE SPEED BUMP MY TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE CAR SHOOK VIOLENTLY. I WAS TOWED VIA FLATBED TO NEW ENGLAND TIRE CAR CARE CENTERS ON WARWICK AVE, WARWICK, RI. THE MECHANICAL INSPECTION FINDINGS WERE AS FOLLOWS: FLAT TIRE ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE RIPPED OFF THE RIM CAUSE BY FRACTURED COIL SPRING. NEW ENGLAND TIRE REPLACED THE STRUTS/COIL SPRINGS AND TIRE. THE TOTAL BILL WAS $1,400.99. ON JULY 5TH, 2018, I DISCOVERED THAT HYUNDAI PREFORMED A SAFETY RECALL ON 28,157 CARS WITH THE SAME ISSUE THAT OCCURRED TO MY VEHICLE. THE RECALL WAS NAMED 'RECALL #133' AND BEGAN ON JANUARY 6TH, 2016. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS RECALL. A QUOTE FROM HYUNDAI RECALL #133 STATS: 'CONSEQUENCE: IF A FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES, IT MAY CONTACT THE TIRE, POSSIBLY PUNCTURING IT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.' THE SUMMARY OF THE RECALL STATES THAT 'HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 ELANTRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED NOVEMBER 12, 2010, TO MARCH 31, 2011.' THIS IS A TOTAL OF 140 DAYS INCLUDING 28,157 VEHICLES. MY VEHICLE IS A HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2011 MANUFACTURED ON: APRIL 16TH, 2011. I REALIZED THAT THE REASON MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL #133 WAS THAT I MISSED THE END DATE (MARCH 31, 2011) BY 16 DAYS. I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL GIVEN THE REASONABLE FACT THAT MY FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURED, CONTACTED THE TIRE, AND PUNCTURED IT JUST AS HYUNDAI RECALL #133 STATES WHICH AFFECTED 28,157 OTHER VEHICLES. I FILED A SMALL CLAIMS CIVIL SUIT AGAINST KYUNG SOO LEE, CEO OF HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA. WHEN THE ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ATTEMPTED TO SERVE THE COURT SUMMONS, HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA STATED THAT THEY DO NOT ALLOW SERVICES TO EMPLOYEES ONSITE.