NHTSA Complaint #11257450 — 2013 HYUNDAI TUCSON

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 75 MPH THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY TURNED-OFF, FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD IN TIME. WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT THEN ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER IT STARTED MAKING A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. WE HAD TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO TOLD US THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED-UP AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE FROM HYUNDAI ABOUT THE OIL PAN LEAK. WE CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY ARE CLAIMING THE ENGINE FAILURE IS UNRELATED TO THE RECALL AND WILL NOT COVER THE COST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THERE WAS 103,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE AND WE FEEL THIS WAS PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY THE OIL PAN/SWITCH DEFECT. THIS WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO US UNTIL EARLY SEPTEMBER. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE NEVER CAME ON PRIOR TO THIS POINT TO LET US KNOW THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE. WITH THIS TYPE OF ISSUE, I WOULD THINK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHOULD HAVE ALERTED OF US OF AN ISSUE WAY BEFORE THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OCCURRED.