NHTSA Complaint #11183318 — 2013 HYUNDAI VELOSTER

STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WAITING FOR GREEN. WHEN GREEN WAS UP, I STARTED TO TRAVEL DOWN THE NEXT ROAD AND THERE WAS A HUGE BANGING NOISE AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AND PIECES OF METAL BANGING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND OIL SPEWING OUT FROM BEHIND ME WHILE I ROLLED TO A STOP. AFTER STOPPING, I POWERED OFF THE CAR DUE TO SMOKE STARTING IN THE HOOD, OPENED UP THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE SMALL FIRE THAT STARTED. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF MY ENGINE BLOCK. THE DRIVER BEHIND ME PULLED OVER TO HELP ME OUT AND WE RECOVERED PIECES OF METAL BEING ENGINE BLOCK, BROKEN IN HALF PISTON ROD, PISTON ROD PIPE THAT CONNECTS TO THE ENGINE ROD, AND A FEW OTHER PIECES OF METAL. I WAS LESS THAN 100 FEET AWAY FROM THE STOP WHEN I STARTED TRAVELING. AND LESS THAN 2 MILES FROM WHERE I LEFT WHEN I STARTED DRIVING. IT WAS A RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH A TOP MPH OF 40 MPH. I WASN'T EVEN GOING ABOVE 15 MPH WHEN IT BLEW. I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO THE INTERSECTING STREET WHEN IT BROKE LOOSE.