NHTSA Complaint #11399437 — 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND OUT OF NOWHER, HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. NO ENGINE LIGHTS WERE DISPLAYED. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. HE THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE TO NEED A NEW ENGINE AT ONLY 53K MILES, SO HE SAID I SHOULD CHECK WITH THE DEALER FOR ANY DEFECTS. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THE NOISE WAS CAUSED BY ROD BEARINGS BEING PREMATURELY WORN AND IT IN FACT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. WE HAD ALWAYS TAKEN IT FOR REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND CONFIRMED THIS WITH RECEIPTS. THEY SAID THERE WAS A RECALL OF THIS ENGINE PROBLEM OF THE SAME YEAR AND MAKE BUT OUR SUV WAS A LIMITED AND ONLY THE SPORT MODEL WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK WITH HYUNDAI TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COVER IT CONSIDERING THE RECENT ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR OF CAR. THEY CAME BACK AND SAID THEY WOULD ONLY COVER A PORTION OF IT AND WANTED US TO PAY $3300. WE ARE NOW CHECKING WITH ANOTHER DEALER AND HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR OVER A WEEK. IT SEEMS CRAZY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT.