NHTSA Complaint #11218097 — 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

NHTSA REPRESENTATIVE, I AM WRITING TO INFORM THE NHTSA THAT OTHER HYUNDAI'S ENGINES OUTSIDE OF HYUNDAI'S 2012 AND 2013 ENGINE RECALL ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO ROD KNOCK, WHICH POSES A SEVERE SAFETY RISK AND THAT HYUNDAI IS NOT HELPFUL IN ANY WAY WHEN REPORTING THIS. OUR VEHICLE WHICH FAILED ON US 40 IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS IS A 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VIN # #[XXX]. ON APRIL 10TH AT 6 PM WHILE TRAVELING ON US 40 IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS NEAR CHANDLER, NORTH CAROLINA IN OUR 2012 HYUNDAI SANTA FE TOWARDS OUR HOME IN DOWNERS GROVE, IL., WE BEGAN TO HEAR A KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE AT ANY SPEED GREATER THAN 65 MPH. SINCE WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO PLACE TO SAFELY PULL OFF SO WE SLOWED THE VEHICLE TO 60MPH HOWEVER THE KNOCKING SOUND BECAME WORST AND THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 55 MPH WITHOUT A TERRIBLE LOUD KNOCKING. THIS WAS OF COURSE VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE. WITH HAZARD LIGHTS ON, WE WERE ABLE TO EXIT US 40 IN CHANDLER NC ONLY ABLE TO DO <30 MPH AND THE VEHICLE DIED IN ENTRANCE OF THE SUNOCO GAS STATION IN CHANDLER NORTH CAROLINA. DURING THIS WHOLE TIME NO CHECK ENGINE OR ANY EMERGENCY LIGHT WARNED US OF THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONING AND THE SAFETY RISK WE HAD ENCOUNTERED WITH THE ENGINE DYING. THE SANTA FE WAS TOWED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP OF ASHEVILLE, NC AND DROPPED OFF AT 11PM WHERE IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE BAD ROD KNOCK AND NEEDING A NEW ENGINE. HYUNDAI SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ENGINES THAT PUT THEIR CUSTOMERS AT RISK AND 2012 SANTA FE ENGINE SHOULD BE ON THE CURRENT ENGINE RECALL FOR ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO ROD KNOCK. SEVERAL MECHANICS AT VARIOUS SHOPS HAVE STATED THIS IS HAPPENING REGULARLY TO HYUNDAI'S ENGINES. PLEASE ASSIST US IN HOLDING HYUNDAI RESPONSIBLE AND MODIFYING THE ENGINE RECALL TO CORRECTLY ENCOMPASS OUR MODEL (2012 SANTA FE ENGINES) BEFORE SERIOUS HARM COMES TO SOMEONE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR