NHTSA Complaint #11309422 — 2012 HYUNDAI VELOSTER

ON FRIDAY, 1/31/19, MY SON AS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND HIS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND OIL INDICATOR LIGHT WENT ON. HE TOOK THE CAR (MY12 HYUNDAI VELOSTER) TO PEP BOYS FOR SERVICE THE FOLLOWING MORNING, SAT. 2/1/20, AND DESCRIBED WHAT HAPPENED. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR AND ADVISED THE OIL SEEMED TO BE BURNING FASTER THAN NORMAL, BUT DID AN OIL CHANGE. THEY ADVISED IF THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN, TO TAKE IT TO HYUNDAI. THEY ALSO ADVISED WE WOULD NEED TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR OIL CHANGES APPROX. EVERY 3K MILES, RATHER THAN 5-7K MILES. NO CONCERN WAS COMMUNICATED TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY, 2/2/20, HE WAS ENTERING THE 605 FWY (SOUTH) AT FIRESTONE BLVD IN NORWALK, CA AND HE HEARD A RATTLING IN THE ENGINE, THEN SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE PULLED THE CAR OVER ON THE SHOULDER, THEN SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE EXITED THE VEHICLE SAFELY AND CALLED 911. THE CAR BECAME ENGULFED IN BLAMES AND WAS TOTALED. THE FIRE DEPT PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CHP OFFICER POINTED OUT THE TRAIL OF OIL ON THE SHOULDER WHERE MY SON HAD DRIVEN AND PULLED OVER. UPON DOING SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AFTER THE FIRE, WE SAW THAT MY13 HYUNDAI VELOSTERS HAD A RECALL FOR AN ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FIRES. WE HAVE HAD ALL REGULAR SERVICE DONE ON THE CAR AT PEP BOYS AND HAD NOT HAD ANY PRIOR ENGINE ISSUES.