NHTSA Complaint #11615515 — 2023 HYUNDAI SONATA

My name is [XXX] , and I am the frustrated owner of a 2023 Hyundai Sonata SEL. For context, I am a [XXX] woman who had never experienced the frightening event of a “brand new” car breaking down—until now. I am still in shock and trembling from the experience I had with my “new” 2023 Hyundai Sonata on the morning of [XXX]. At 9:30 a.m., I was driving on [XXX] . I was driving the speed limit (55 mph) and cruising along when, all of a sudden, as I went to accelerate, my vehicle instead began decelerating rapidly. I pressed the gas pedal, thinking I might have let up too much or accidentally had my foot on the brake. However, pressing the gas only caused the RPM to spike, with no change in my speed. I had to act quickly, paying close attention to the surrounding traffic as my car slowed down. Thankfully, I managed to maneuver from the far-left lane to the shoulder of the highway. My speed had dropped to around 30 mph and was decreasing. Trying to safely navigate a slowing vehicle on a highway filled with traffic is an adrenaline rush I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I was in a state of severe panic. As I steered the car onto the shoulder, I noticed it was shaking and struggling to move forward. White smoke was also coming from the exhaust. Once safely stopped, I put the car in park and turned off the engine to let it cool down. After a few minutes, I restarted it and noticed the engine, oil, and battery indicators were all illuminated on the dashboard. My first thought was a battery issue, but the car was still able to turn on. However, the engine did not start. A notification appeared, stating the car was not in a condition to be driven. After receiving the car back from the Hyundai Dealer I was notified that the issue was due to fuel injectors failing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)