NHTSA Complaint #11152556 — 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2018 I WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE 64 IN NEWPORT NEWS, VA. I STARTED HEARING A CLANGING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I THOUGHT A FENDER HAD COME LOOSE. THE NOISE PERSISTED AND I REALIZED IT WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MY VEHICLE, WITH 140,527 MILES ALSO HAD A BURNING SMELL ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO FIRE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED TO WILLIAMSBURG HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP IN WILLIAMSBURG, VA. THEY CALLED ME LATER THAT DAY AND TOLD ME THAT "SOMETHING HAD COME LOOSE IN THE ENGINE AND MADE A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK". I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A REPLACEMENT ENGINE AT A COST OF $7,200 WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ONLY WORTH ABOUT THAT ON THE PRIVATE MARKET. THE DEALER DID NOT INFORM ME ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THE THETA II ENGINES IN THE 2011-2014 HYUNDAI SONATAS WHICH HAS THE SAME ENGINE AND HAS BEEN RECALLED. I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER CARE AND OPENED A CASE WITH THEM ON NOVEMBER 15, 2018. THEY ADVISED ME TO HAVE THE DEALER SUBMIT A CLAIM REQUEST FORM CONCERNING THE INCIDENT AND THEY WOULD DETERMINE WHAT TO DO. NHTSA NEEDS TO RECALL ALL 2012 SANTA FE'S WITH THE THETA II ENGINE NOW BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED FROM A CRASH CAUSED BY AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION AT HIGH SPEED. MY HYUNDAI CASE NUMBER IS 12401191.