NHTSA Complaint #11490880 — 2016 HYUNDAI TUCSON

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle began to stall and he saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and quickly exited the vehicle. The contact waited several minutes. The contact stated that upon opening the hood of the vehicle, he saw flames. The contact was able to extinguish the fire by shutting the hood closed. The contact stated that in the process of exiting the vehicle, he bumped his knee and twisted his ankle and received care from his caregiver. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced under an unknown recall. However, the contact stated that after the repair, the vehicle was experiencing rough starts and the engine was misfiring while driving. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Ron Tonkin Hyundai (675 NE Burnside Rd, Gresham, OR 97030), where it was diagnosed that the cylinder was misfiring. The dealer replaced the fuel injector, the spark plugs, and the cylinder head, and completed an oil change. However, the engine was knocking upon starting the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that he would need to pay an Engine Control Unit (ECU) repair fee. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.