NHTSA Complaint #11142470 — 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA

MINOR VIBRATION ON FRONT END AXLE DURING INITIAL ACCELERATION STARTED EARLY DURING OWNERSHIP, BUT INCREASED OVER TIME WITH MILEAGE AND USAGE. TOOK INTO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED FOR DIAGNOSIS, BUT COULD NOT ISOLATE CAUSE. PROBLEM WORSENED OVER NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO TOOK IT BACK IN TO SAME DEALERSHIP. FINALLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE A MISSING CIRCLIP ("C" CLIP) THAT HOLDS THE CV AXLE IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE. WITHOUT IT, THE AXLE ITSELF WAS WORKING ITS WAY OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE, AND VIBRATING BECAUSE OF ITS LOOSENESS. RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT FULL SEPARATION OF THE AXLE FROM THE TRANSMISSION COULD RESULT IN UNCONTROLLED BEHAVIOR OF CAR, AND INEVITABLE ACCIDENT OR WORSE. THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING/ASSEMBLY ERROR, AND COULD BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM IN THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS. THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THIS COULD PRESENT A DANGEROUS RISK TO OTHER 2017 SONATA PURCHASERS, SO I WRITE THIS COMPLAINT AS BOTH A CIVIC RIGHT AND A RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN. WHEN DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE WITH A HYUNDAI REPRESENTATIVE, I WAS TOLD IN BLUNT AND NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER ACTION OR DISCUSSION THAT WAS NECESSARY. OUR PRIOR 2011 HYUNDAI'S ENGINE HAD SEIZED AT HIGHWAY SPEED, AND MY WIFE LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKING. DESPITE SAFETY ISSUES WITH BOTH 2011 AND 2017 SONATAS, THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT NOR ADMISSION OF ACCOUNTABILITY. I WOULD LIKE TO BE REASSURED THAT THIS AXLE CIRCLIP PROBLEM IS ACKNOWLEDGED AND RECTIFIED, AS THE GREATER SAFETY OF SONATA OWNERS MAY BE AT RISK. WE PERSONALLY NOW FEEL UNSAFE IN THE SONATA MODEL, AND ONLY PURCHASED A SECOND ONE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT LIGHTNING DOESN'T STRIKE TWICE... THIS IS NOT SO...