NHTSA Complaint #11607545 — 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

On 7/24/24 I was driving off the expressway near my home when as I was switching lanes the vehicle made a loud clunk noise (it was like the sound of a lock turning but louder) and stopped accelerating, eventually coming to a full stop in the middle of the lane. Since I was blocking the lane, and it was during rush hour, I called the police to have them escort me out of the lane and into the middle divide. I had my vehicle towed to my home where my personal mechanic showed up to do an inspection. He tried turning on the car, but it only made a single-clicking noise. Next, he checked the oil and discovered that the dipstick was completely dry. He advised that the engine was seized due to no oil and suggested that I reach out to the location I had my last oil change at. An independent inspector completed a diagnostic on the vehicle and concluded the following: The top of this engine was dry and there were no oil stains on the underside of the hood or pooled in the engine compartment to suggest this engine leaked or displaced oil from the fill hole area. The oil fill cap was in the valve cover, tight and properly orientated. The oil pan drain plug was tight in the pan and not leaking. No torque seal or paint had been used on the drain plug or the oil pan. There was no impact damage to the oil pan. The inspector verified the oil filter housing and cover were dry with no signs of an active leak. The inspector verified the engine had been leaking oil to an active drip from the rear main engine oil seal, valve cover gaskets and from the oil pan gasket. There was also an excessive amount of soot and wetness in the tailpipes consistent with excessive oil consumption and the inspector observed a film of oil was present on the rear of the vehicle at both sides further indicating excessive oil consumption. The inspector attempted to start the engine and verified there was only a single clunk noise audible in the engine it could not be rotated indicating it was internally seized.