NHTSA Complaint #11144800 — 2011 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 5 TIMES OR MORE FOR THE REPAIR OF AN ENGINE OIL LEAK THAT SATURATES THE ALTERNATOR RESULTING IN ITS FAILURE. THEY HAVE RESEALED THE ENGINE OIL PAN THE FIRST TIME. SECOND, THIRD, FORTH, AND FIFTH TIME THEY REPLACED THE FRONT ENGINE VALVE COVER GASKET. THE LAST TIME THEY FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE AS OUTLINED BY HYUNDAI THAT WAS MANDATED BY NTSB AS A RECALL. HOWEVER THE OIL LEAK STILL REMAINS. UPON OUR LAST VISIT IN NOVEMBER 2018 THE HYUNDAI SERVICE SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE OIL LEAK IS FROM THE FRONT ENGINE COVER (TIMING COVER). THEY SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO HYUNDAI CORPORATE TO MAKE THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. CORPORATE ADVISED THAT THE REPAIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE UNDER THE VEHICLES WARRANTY PERIOD. NOW THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. PLUS BECAUSE IT IS NOT RELATED TO THE VALVE COVER AND THAT REPAIR HAS ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED, THEY HAVE MEAT THEIR OBLIGATIONS. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT PART OF THE MANDATED NTSB REPAIR DOES INVOLVE A PORTION OF THE ENGINE COVER, BUT APPARENTLY APPLYING A LAYER OF SEALANT ACROSS THE SEAM OF THE COVER DOES NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THEREFORE THIS IS STILL A SAFETY HAZARD AND WE ARE LOOKING AT REPLACING A 3RD ALTERNATOR.