NHTSA Complaint #11366323 — 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

AROUND 5:30 PM DURING THE DAY I PARKED THE VEHICLE BY THE CURB ON THE STREET WITH NO LIGHTS ON AND NOTHING LEFT PLUGGED IN. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF THE WINDOWS WERE ROLLED ALL THE WAY UP AND THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED. I LOCKED THE DOORS THEN WENT INSIDE THE APARTMENT AND ABOUT 30 MIN LATER THE NEIGHBORS INFORMED ME OF A FIRE INSIDE MY VEHICLE. I REACTED QUICKLY GRABBED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, RAN TO THE VEHICLE UNLOCKED THE DRIVER DOOR MANUALLY WITH THE KEY AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE IT SPREAD. THE CENTER COUNSEL AND CENTER DASH AREA WITH CONTROLS FOR THE AC, AND RADIO WERE ALL BURNED AND MELTED DOWN. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FINALLY ARRIVED AND TOOK THEIR REPORT AND LEFT I RESEARCHED WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. I LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONGST THESE PARTICULAR TYPES OF VEHICLES AND IN 2016 THE FIRST RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED. THESE VEHICLES HAVE ABS MODULES AND HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS THAT ALLOW MOISTURE TO ENTER CAUSING CORROSION RESULTING IN A SHORT CIRCUIT. AND BECAUSE THEY STAY ELECTRICALLY POWERED WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS ON OR OFF THESE SHORT-CIRCUITS CAN START A FIRE. HYUNDAIS NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS 172.