NHTSA Complaint #11340927 — 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, GOING APPROXIMATELY 65-75MPH FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. AS I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO PREPARE FOR A LANE CHANGE, I REALIZED THAT I COULD PUT THE ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESPONSE. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT MY "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT APPEARED. I TRIED AGAIN UNSUCCESSFULLY, THEN TRIED THE BREAKS. THE BREAKS WERE VERY STIFF, AS IF THEIR POWER TO THE ENGINE WAS CUT OFF. I TRIED TO TURN OFF OF THE HIGHWAY ONTO THE CURB, AND I NOTICED THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WAS ALSO VERY STIFF. ALTHOUGH I COULD TURN, IT TOOK MUCH MORE STRENGTH THAN USUAL. I LET THE SPEED DECLINE NATURALLY UNTIL IT STOPPED ENTIRELY ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. WHILE STOPPED, I TRIED REPEATEDLY TO USE THE BREAKS, GAS, AND TEST THE STEERING, BUT THE SAME ISSUES WERE THERE WITH ZERO SUCCESS. ONE THING I CAN NOTE WAS THAT THE BATTERY APPEARED TO BE WORKING JUST FINE, AS MY RADIO WAS ON THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE TIME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON UNTIL I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I TURNED THE CAR ON AFTER SOME TIME AND IT IMMEDIATELY WORKED - WITH EVERYTHING ELSE APPEARING TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE LIGHT AT THIS TIME WAS OFF, AND HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE CAR INTO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP, BUT BECAUSE THE LIGHT TURNED OFF, THEY CLAIM THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO READ WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING THIS INCIDENT. THEY GAVE THE CAR BACK TO ME WHILE OFFERING NO SUGGESTIONS, THEY DID NOT EVEN TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE ENGINE. THEY EVEN SAID THAT THEY WOULD TRADE IN THE CAR FOR RESALE - AS IF THEY WOULD LET SOMEONE ELSE TAKE THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. I AM LUCKY I DIDN'T DIE, AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. MY PROBLEM APPEARS TO LOOK MUCH LIKE THE RECALLS OF OTHER SANTA FE YEARS AROUND 2015. I HAVE TRIED FOR A WEEK TO CONTACT HYUNDAI WITH NO SUCCESS IN GETTING IN CONTACT WITH A CASE MANAGER. FAILURE MILEAGE AROUND 83,000.