NHTSA Complaint #11280371 — 2013 HYUNDAI VELOSTER

I PURCHASED THE CAR ON MARCH 29, 2019 WITH 74,999 MILES ON IT. I DROVE IT FOR APPROXIMATELY 4,100 MILES AND HAD IT SERVICED WITH SYNTHETIC OIL AT THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. MY NEXT SERVICE DATE WAS SET FOR 85,500 MILES. APPROACHING MY NEXT SERVICE DATE, I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE AND EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ON A SUBURBAN ROAD, AND HAD TO PULL OFF IMMEDIATELY. IF I HAD BEEN GOING FASTER, OR HAD NOT HAD A SPOT TO PULL OVER IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WORSE SITUATION. THE CAR HAD 85,570 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I THEN TOOK IT DIRECTLY TO THE CLOSEST CERTIFIED HYUNDAI DEALER WHERE I FOUND RECALL 182 WAS OPEN ON MY VEHICLE. THIS RECALL DESCRIBES POTENTIAL PRE-IGNITION THAT CAN LEAD TO EXCESSIVE CYLINDER PRESSURE IN THESE ENGINES. WHEN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED MY VEHICLE, THEY SAID THERE WAS SEVER LOWER ENGINE BEARING DAMAGE LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON MY ENGINE, I ASSUMED THIS WOULD BE DONE BY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY CLAIMED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS NOT DUE TO THE RECALL. EVERY DOCUMENT I SAW DESCRIBING SAFETY RECALL 182 DESCRIBES IT CAUSING PRE-IGNITION AND EXCESSIVE CYLINDER PRESSURE. FROM WHAT I KNOW ABOUT ENGINES AND HAVE RESEARCHED FROM OTHERS, EXCESSIVE CYLINDER PRESSURE CAUSES SHOCK WAVES THAT ARE SEEN TO US AS ENGINE KNOCKING. ENGINE KNOCKING IF LEFT UNCHECKED, CAN CAUSE SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. I DON'T SEE HOW HYUNDAI CAN MAKE A CLAIM THAT RECALL 182 IS NOT THE DIRECT CAUSE OF MY ENGINE FAILURE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE IN THEIR STATEMENT. THEY ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH TO AMMEND THIS RECALL.