NHTSA Complaint #11195417 — 2012 HYUNDAI TUCSON

THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A RATTLING NOISE FROM THE LOWER HALF OF THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY FAMILY. I MANAGED TO GET HOME AND THEN QUICKLY TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC; WHO INFORMED ME IT SOUNDED LIKE A SPUN BEARING. HE STATED HE WOULD NOT KNOW FOR SURE UNTIL HE TOOK APART THE MOTOR. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW. I CALLED MY TWO LOCAL DEALERS WHO INFORMED ME THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ALSO NOT PART OF THE THETA II ENGINE RECALL CAMPAIGN. SINCE THE CAR WAS NOT BUILT IN THE ALABAMA PLANT; IT ALSO DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY GIVEN TO VEHICLES BUILT HERE WITH THAT ENGINE. I WAS QUOTED AN ESTIMATED $10,000 BY THE DEALER IN REGARDS TO PUTTING IN A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER RECEIVING THESE RESPONSES I NOTIFIED HYUNDAI'S WARRANTY DISPUTE RESOLUTION. THEY TOO INFORMED ME THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY INFORMED THEY NEEDED TO TAKE APART THE ENGINE TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. HOWEVER, THE GAMBLE WAS THAT I WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR OF THIS. I WAS WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION AND GAVE UP RESOLVING THIS THROUGH HYUNDAI. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO FIND ME A USED ENGINE WITH LOW MILES (70K) TO PUT IN MY VEHICLE. THE TOTAL COST FOR THE ENGINE WAS SHY OF $5,000 WHICH WASN'T TOO FAR FROM WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH NOW.