NHTSA Complaint #11435608 — 2014 HYUNDAI SONATA

The acceleration and, subsequently, the engine failed while on the freeway. All warning lights came on. This was a high-risk and potentially very dangerous situation to be on the freeway and have your vehicle suddenly lose power. The car was towed by AAA to a nearby service center. The mechanic there, as well as the AAA mechanic, both identified the engine issue and were aware of the current recall issue. They instructed to tow it to a dealer. It sat at an off-site lot owned by the Kearney Mesa Hyundai dealership for over a month, requiring car rental fees in excess of $1,000, before it was even diagnosed as an engine failure. But now, it still hasn't been approved by Hyundai Motor America for an engine replacement. First, I was told that they needed maintenance records. I provided those, plus all the recall notices I had received related to this, and for which I had brought the vehicle in for. They said the maintenance records weren't sufficient to reach a final decision. I was told by the dealership that they have asked them "to take pictures of the valve train, which requires them to remove the valve cover and order additional parts to reinstall in the event the engine is not approved." I don't understand this lengthy process -- and making me jump through hoops -- considering Hyundai is already under a concent order and subject to a total civil penalty of $140 million for its untimely handling of these engine recalls in the first place. Their website says: "Hyundai is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of all our products through continuous improvement. In the event of a safety-related defect in one of our vehicles, Hyundai acts swiftly and efficiently to recall and fix the problem at no cost to affected customers." LOL. Also, when I first entered my VIN # it showed as having the recall issue now, all of the sudden, it doesn't. What's interesting is that when this There are no open Safety Recalls or Service Campaigns for this vehicle.