NHTSA Complaint #11266801 — 2013 HYUNDAI TUCSON

VEHICLE STARTED UP WITH VERY NOTICEABLE KNOCKING NOISE, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. IT WAS STILL TECHNICALLY DRIVEABLE, BUT HAD VERY SLOW ACCELERATION. STOPPED BY AUTOZONE TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE ENGINE CODE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TWO CODES THAT CAME UP WERE RELATED TO NEEDING AN OIL CHANGE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I STOPPED BY JIFFY LUBE TO HAVE THEM CHANGE THE OIL. THE TECH SHOWED ME A SAMPLE OF THE OIL THAT CAME OUT OF THE VEHICLE; IT LOOKED LIKE BLACK, SLUDGY COFFEE. I KEEP UP WITH OIL CHANGES, MAKING SURE TO GO TO JIFFY SO THAT MY RECORDS ARE ACCESSIBLE. I ALWAYS HAVE THEM USE SYNTHETIC WHEN I VISIT. THE TECH TOLD ME THAT THE OIL HAD BEEN OVERFILLED THE LAST TIME IT WAS CHANGED. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAS NOTICED IN HYUNDAI VEHICLES THAT THE OIL ALWAYS TURNS BLACK, EVEN IF SYNTHETIC IS USED. HE SAID THAT HE HEARD THE KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE WHEN THEY MOVED THR VEHICLE, AND THAT IT COULD BE THE LIFTERS. AFTER THE OIL CHANGE, I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON, AND THE KNOCKING WAS STILL TAKING PLACE. I DROVE ACROSS THE STREET TO CHRISTIAN BROTHERS TO HAVE THEM INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE SHOP HAD TO REMOVE THE FRONT PART OF THE ENGINE TO CHECK OUT THE ISSUE. AFTER A FEW DAYS, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AS THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS INSIDE OF THE OIL PAN. I BEGAN TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THERE WAS AN UNOFFICIAL RECALL ON THE THETA II ENGINE (WHICH IS WHAT THIS VEHICLE HAS). HYUNDAI WAS SLOWLY STARTING TO SEND NOTICES OUT TO PEOPLE. I TOOK MY TUCSON TO A DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM TO CONTACT HYUNDAI TO BEGIN A CLAIM FOR AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD THE CLAIM WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THIS IS A 2013 MODEL, AND I PURCHASED IT IN SEP/OCT OF 2016. THE ENGINE IN A 6 Y/O VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE SHUTTING DOWN, ESPECIALLY IF MAINTENANCE WAS KEPT UP. NHTSA 19V063000