NHTSA Complaint #11363390 — 2016 HYUNDAI TUCSON

FOR A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CAR HESITATED SLIGHTLY FROM A DEAD STOP WHILE WE ACCELERATED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS FROM THE CAR INDICATING ANY ISSUE. BECAUSE IT SEEMED ODD, WE MADE A APPOINTMENT TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE. WHILE WAITING FOR OUR APPOINTMENT ON JULY 12TH, 2020, MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION, SUCH THAT THE ENGINE WOULD JUST SPIN WITH NO POWER GOING TO THE WHEELS AT HIGHER RPM'S. FEATHERING THE THROTTLE, A SPEED OF ABOUT 45 MPH COULD BE ATTAINED ON FLAT GROUND AND SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER ON HILLS. AFTER LIMPING IT ALONG TO A LOCAL SHOP, WERE WERE TOLD THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CLOGGED, CAUSING IT TO OVERHEAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER, WHICH HAD FAILED SENDING SHRAPNEL THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. THEY ONLY KNEW THIS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO TAKE THE CAR APART, SINCE EVEN AFTER THE FAILURE, NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. WE ENDED UP NEEDING A FULL TRANSMISSION REBUILD, A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER AND A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM THE CARS WARNING SYSTEMS THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG, EVEN AFTER THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THIS COULD HAVE LEAD TO A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE.