NHTSA Complaint #11144171 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA

OUR CAR WAS IN THE NUMBER 2 LANE OF A 5 LANE FREEWAY WHEN IT ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST POWER AND THE GAS PEDAL DIDN'T WORK AND THEN A VERY SUDDEN, HARD JOLT IN THE CAR. I WANTED TO DOWNSHIFT, BUT THE SHIFT LEVER WENT TO PARK WITH NO EFFECT. I TURNED ON MY TURN SIGNAL TO GET TO THE SHOULDER ON THE RIGHT. I LET THE WHEELS DRAG ALONG THE ASPHALT CURB OF THE SHOULDER UNTIL I APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, BY THEN, THE SMOKE WAS FILLING THE CABIN COMING THROUGH ALL OF THE AIR VENTS AND MY WIFE AND I GOT OUT AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD. IT WASN'T UNTIL THEN THAT I FOUND THAT WE HAD BEEN FOLLOWED BY A TOW TRUCK WITH ITS EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON AND BLOCKED THE SLOW LANE OF TRAFFIC FOR US AND WHO HAD HIS DISPATCHER CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE ENGINE IN THIS CAR HAD BEEN REPLACED IN MARCH, 2018 UNDER A RECALL FOR ENGINE KNOCKING NOISE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TRIED HIS FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT AND HE STATED IT WOULD NOT WORK BECAUSE IT WAS A GASOLINE FIRE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED.IN ORDER TO INSTALL THE NEW ENGINE THEY HAVE TO BEND THE FUEL LINES OUT OF THE WAY AND A FUEL LINE COULD HAVE BEEN KINKED, OR WAS NEVER INSTALLED PROPERLY. NO ONE HAD DONE ANY WORK ON THE ENGINE SINCE IT WAS INSTALLED BY THE HYUNDAI DEALER. I HAVE A FIRE REPORT, BUT IT IS 8 PAGES. HIGHWAY PATROL WAS PRESENT, BUT THEY DO NOT MAKE A REPORT WHEN ONLY 1 CAR IS INVOLVED.