NHTSA Complaint #11209914 — 2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

IN LATE AUGUST MY CAR WAS DUE FOR INSPECTION, SO I DROVE IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOOD TO GO EXCEPT WHAT I BELIEVE WAS THE FRONT ROCKER ARM(COULD BE WRONG) WAS RUSTED BUT WAS DO FOR A FREE RECALL BECAUSE OF RUST ISSUES. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND HAVE IT DONE FOR FREE, AND HE KEPT TELLING ME NOT TO LET THEM TRICK ME INTO PAYING FOR IT LIKE DEALERS TEND TO DO, SO HE HIGHLIGHTED ON THE RECALL THE LINES WHICH READS "ALL PARTS AND PROCEDURES WILL BE DONE FREE OF CHARGE" SO I DRIVE TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAY IT SHOULDNT TAKE MORE THAN A COUPLE DAYS, BUT MONTHS STARTED GOING BY WITH NO WORD FROM THEM AND ANYTIME I CALLED TO CHECK UP ON THE CARS STATUS, THEY WOULD LIE TO ME AND SAY "THE PART JUST ARRIVED AND WE'RE WORKIN ON ITNOW" BUT THEY TOLD ME THIS LIKE 6 TIMES, SO I ASKED THEM TO RETURN THE CAR UNTIL PARTS ARRIVED, THEY REFUSED AND CLAIMED LEGAL REASONS. THEN THEY DID RANDOMLY CONTACT MY SICK MOTHER AND TRY TO GET HER TO PAY 2400 DOLLARS! BEFORE THEY WOULD BEGIN WORK, EXPLAINING THEY WOULD BREAK SO MUCH STUFF IN THE PROCESS THAT IT WOULD COST 2400 FOR THE FREE RECALL, BUT 2 MECHANICS INCLUDING THE 1 THAT SENT ME ASSURED ME THAT WAS A LIE, AND THAT THE ONLY THING THEY SHOULD HAVE TO TOUCH DURING THE PROCEDURE IS BOLTS. SO I CALL THEM BACK AND ASK WHATS GOING ON WITH MY CAR AND FINALLY SOMEONE COMES CLEAN SAYING THAT WHILE THEY HAD MY CAR, THEY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, SO THEY START TELLING ME THEY NEED TO WORK ON MY TRANSMISSION BEFORE RELEASING THE CAR. I SAID NO, DONT WORRY ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION, ILL WILL HAVE MY GUY WORK ON THAT AFTER THE RECALL IS COMPLETE. BUT THEY REFUSED TO WORK ON THE RECALL UNLESS I PAID THEM. THEY ALSO REFUSED TO RELEASE THE CAR, THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER TELLING ME TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED, THEY R NOT FIXING IT. SO NOW THE CAR I DROVE THERE NO LONGER WORKS.