NHTSA Complaint #11161831 — 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID

WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS (50-60MPH), THE "ECO GUAGE" REVS UP BUT THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE - SLOWS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LAMP FLICKERS ON AND OFF AS WELL. AFTER THE CAR IS STOPPED AND TURNED OFF, THE CAR FUNCTIONS NORMALLY. MECHANICS ARE UNABLE TO RETRIEVE ANY CODES FROM THE SYSTEM. THE CAR HAS INTERMITTANTLY DROPPED INTO THIS MODE AT LEAST 10 TIMES SINCE WE FIRST EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM IN JULY 2018. THE PROBLEM OCCURS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS CAUSING THE CAR TO RAPIDLY DECELERATE IN FAST MOVING TRAFFIC WITH NO ADVANCE WARNINGS. THIS SITUATION REQUIRES IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION TO REMOVE THE CAR FROM HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC LANES SO IT CAN BE SHUT DOWN AND TOWED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER. MY WIFE AND I CONSIDER THIS A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION AS IT HAS OCCURRED IN PLACES SUCH AS THE BAY BRIDGE (WITH NO SHOULDER) AND A LENGTHY UNDERWATER TUNNEL (AGAIN WITH NO SHOULDER). WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER SERVICE SHOP FOUR TIMES. THEY HAVE REPLICATED THE PROBLEM AND HAVE TRIED VARIOUS REPAIRS - REPLACE TRANSMISSION OIL PUMP, REPLACE INHIBITOR SWITCH, INSTALL NEW AUXILLIARY BATTERY, AND - FINALLY - REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. EVEN AFTER THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, THE CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE THE MECHANIC WAS TEST DRIVING IT AND PROVIDED A CODE TO REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THE MECHANICS STILL ARE NOT CERTAIN THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. IT APPEARS AS IF HYUNDAI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS THEIR TECHNICAL SUPPORT STAFF HAVE A PROTOCOL FOR REPAIRING THE CAR. GIVEN THE INTERMITTANT NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, THE FACT THAT IT OCCURS AT HIGH SPEEDS, AND THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF HAVING YOUR CAR RAPIDLY DECELERATE ON BUSY FREEWAYS, I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY HYUNDAI. ATTACHED IS THE ORIGINAL SERVICE RECORD THAT DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM (DATE 8/6/18). THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE WAS 11/27/18.