NHTSA Complaint #11404249 — 2017 HYUNDAI TUCSON

TRAVELING WITH WIFE AND INFANT WESTBOUND 210 FREEWAY IN PASADENA, CA. AT HIGHWAY SPEED. WIFE AND I HEARD A CONTINUOUS, MUFFLED CLICKING SOUND FOR 20-30 SECONDS. I FELT A SLIGHT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AT WHICH POINT, I BEGAN MAKING MY WAY FROM THE HOV LANE TO EXIT. WHILE MOVING OVER, I SAW A PUFF OF LIGHT GRAY SMOKE FROM THE REAR FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SIMILAR SMOKE AND THEN SOME FLAMES FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TO NO ENGINE POWER AT THIS TIME AS I CAME TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER, PLACED IT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AS WE STOPPED, THE FLAMES BECAME MUCH GREATER. WE WERE ALL ABLE TO QUICKLY EXIT AND GET TO A SAFE DISTANCE. AS AN ASIDE, WE HAD ONLY DAYS BEFORE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS VEHICLE FROM HYUNDAI TO ADDRESS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT COULD CAUSE SPONTANEOUS, NON-COLLISION ENGINE FIRES. I HAD NOT HAD OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE IT IN YET.