NHTSA Complaint #11222597 — 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA

WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON BUSY STREET APPROACHING HIGHWAY, CAR SHOOK, ALL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THEN DIMMED AS CAR CAME TO A STOP AND DIED IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD. IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THIS HAPPENED IN SECONDS, NOT AFFORDING DRIVER ENOUGH TIME TO MOVE TOWARD SHOULDER. AS HYUNDAI EXPLAINED, THE ENGINE FAILED AND, IN SO DOING, SENT ELECTRIC SURGE THAT ALSO "FRIED" THE STARTER. DEALER INDICATED THERE WERE PHOTOS OF ENGINE AFTER INCIDENT. LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THAT AFTER REMOVING THE STARTER, VISUAL INSPECTION ALLOWED HIM TO DETERMINE A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH HYUNDAI'S EXPLANATION. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR PRIOR. TWO PRIOR ENGINE-RELATED SAFETY RECALLS (ISSUED IN RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM) WERE PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE, AND NO SAFETY PROBLEMS WERE DETECTED. HYUNDAI ADVISED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR SONATAS, AND THEY REMAIN UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN/WHERE THIS WILL HAPPEN TO ANY SONATA. A LOCAL DEALER HAD SEVERAL ON LOT WITH SAME ISSUE. ENGINE AND STARTER NEED TO BE REPLACED, AND IT REMAINS UNDETERMINED IF ANY OTHER COMPONENTS WERE IMPACTED.