NHTSA Complaint #11406895 — 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT UNDISCLOSED SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE JIM ELLIS HYUNDAI ATLANTA (5785 PEACHTREE BLVD, ATLANTA, GA 30341) TO BE DIAGNOSED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC ASSURED HER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE SERVICE SOON AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT AT A NEARBY PARKING LOT OVERNIGHT. THE FOLLOWING DAY SHE RETURNED AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, WHILE DRIVING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, STALLED, WITH A HINT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT REMAINED FOR TWO DAYS WHILE THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALER AND SHE WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V746000 (ENGINE). THE CONTACT HAD NOTIFIED THE DEALER FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OF THE ISSUES WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS BEING ILLUMINATED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAME DEALER PERFORMED A MULTI-POINT CHECK ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, AND SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.