NHTSA Complaint #11600197 — 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA

On June 30, 2024 I was driving a 2015 Hyundai Sonata and the car caught on fire. There were no warning lights/ dash indicators/ no check engine lights or other warnings present. I had just exited the highway and while sitting at a light, smoke began emanating from the hood and within seconds the smoke turned dark brown at the vents near the windshield. I immediately exited out of the vehicle. I did not have time to pull over out of traffic. The car was engulfed in flames within a very short period of time. I had only seconds to exit the car. I would have struggled to get any passengers out of the backseat safely (i.e. kids in car seats) had I not been the only one in the car at the time. We had notified Hyundai of engine concerns that began in 2023, and they had given us the runaround for many months requiring us to submit paperwork for oil changes for the lifetime of the car and to keep returning to the dealership for "testing" after driving a certain # of miles. They required us to bring the car in to have pictures of the engine taken to ensure there wasn't "neglect" to the car on our part. This excessive and lengthy process by Hyundai took several months after initial concerns were brought up with the dealer. After being required to submit voluminous amount of paperwork and several trips to the dealership for "testing", Hyundai finally agreed to replace the faulty engine. We were told we could continue to drive it until a new engine was ordered. The new engine was scheduled to be replaced on July 11, 2024 however, the car burst into flames on June 30, 2024. Had Hyundai taken appropriate action when the issue was first brought to their attention, this incident would have likely been avoided and had not endangered my life and others helping. Thank you for your attention to this incident.