NHTSA Complaint #11301915 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID

ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A ENGINE KNOCKING NOISE THAT BECAME WORSE OVER THREE DAYS (ORIGINALLY MISTAKEN FOR BAD GAS BUT BECAME MUCH LOUDER THAN THAT WOULD BE). WHILE DRIVING ALONG A BUSY STATE ROAD (NC 98) AND CAR CHOKED TWICE WITH A LOUD THUMP AND I FEARED IT WOULD STALL. PULLED OVER, SHUT VEHICLE OFF. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NO ACTUAL FLAMES DETECTED. TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER DESCRIBED HOLES IN THE ENGINE. CONSULTED HYUNDAI AND THEY WILL ONLY OFFER A SHORT BLOCK REPLACEMENT. LABOR COSTS ARE APPROXIMATELY $2500 WHICH I AM REQUIRED TO PAY. VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 141K MILES. TOW TRUCK OPERATOR ALSO TOLD ME TO RESEARCH THE RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED BUT SHOULD BE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE RECALL WAS INCOMPLETE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROADER.