NHTSA Complaint #11220677 — 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 75MPH, IN THE LEFT LANE, WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, MY 2014 HYUNDAI SANTE FE (3.5L V6, 94K MILES AND VERY WELL MAINTAINED) STARTED TO MAKE A QUIET TICKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT 40 MINUTES SINCE THE LAST STOP. ABOUT ONE MINUTE AFTER THE TICKING BEGAN, BOOM! HUGE EXPLOSION. CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE ENGINE EVIDENTLY SEIZED, THREW A ROD THROUGH THE BLOCK, PUNCTURED THE OIL PAN SPRAYING OIL EVERYWHERE AND IGNITING. PARTS WERE FLYING OUT FROM THE BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND HEAVY WHITE SMOKE WAS BILLOWING. LUCKILY I WAS NEAR AN EXIT RAMP AND THE MOTORISTS AROUND ME WE KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME OVER TO COAST OFF THE RAMP. ONE LADY FOLLOWED ME AND PULLED ALONGSIDE MY VEHICLE TO URGENTLY INFORM ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND PARKED THE VEHICLE AND ME, MY WIFE, AND MY DAUGHTER JUMPED OUT. FLAMES WERE VISIBLE FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. MY WIFE AND ANOTHER MOTORIST CALLED 911 FOR FIRE SUPPORT. THREE GENTLEMAN, ONE IN A SEMI, TWO IN AN SUV, HAD PARKED ON THE HIGHWAY AND RAN OVER TO OUR LOCATION WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER (ABOUT 200 YDS). BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE THE FIRE HAD GONE OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER THAT AND CHECKED THE VEHICLE WITH AN THERMO SCANNER TO MAKE SURE THE FIRE WAS OUT. THE INCIDENT WAS TERRIFYING AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.