NHTSA Complaint #11243941 — 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THE ENGINE WAS DYING WHEN I CAME TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT, WITH THE ENGINE IDLING, THE CAR IN DRIVE AND MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I STARTED TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WHEN I HAD TO COME TO A STOP, SO THE ENGINE WOULDN'T SPUTTER, AND THEN BACK IN DRIVE WHEN I WANTED TO GO. AFTER ABOUT A DAY OR 2, THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE, AND THE BRAKE WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO STOP THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO MY HYUNDAI DEALER, WHO SAID IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION (SPECIFICALLY TORQUE CONVERTER). I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP, WHICH REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. BUT THE CAR WAS STILL REVVING WHEN IT WAS PUT IN DRIVE AND IDLING, WITH THE BRAKE ON. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM, WHICH TOOK ABOUT A MONTH, AND FOUND THAT THE CONTROL MODULE HAD MALFUNCTIONED. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, IT WAS SENDING THE SIGNAL TO REV THE ENGINE AND CUT THE POWER TO THE BRAKES WHEN THE CAR WAS IDLING IN GEAR. HE SAID HE FOUND THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR RANGE, BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL BECAUSE NO SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS HAD OCCURRED BECAUSE OF IT YET. OBVIOUSLY, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME TILL THIS HAPPENS, WHEN A VEHICLE REVS ITS ENGINE AND CUTS POWER TO THE BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY. ONCE THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED, THE TRANSMISSION SHOP WAS ABLE TO ORDER THE SOFTWARE FROM HYUNDAI TO REPROGRAM THE ECM, WHICH SOLVED THE PROBLEM.