NHTSA Complaint #11633308 — 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA

- Component or system that failed: engine (cylinder #4 misfire) - Safety was put at risk twice: once when knock sensor went off on interstate (October) and engine went into limp mode (aka protection mode). Required a tow from the, which was tricky with a vehicle full of passengers. Safety was put at risk gain when vehicle began to stutter/sputter on interstate (December). Drove 4-cylinder vehicle essentially on three cylinders an hour to dealership - Problem has been confirmed by dealer (Southern States Hyundai, Raleigh, NC) - vehicle has been inspected by warranty inspector, who requests approval before disassembling engine to diagnose issue. However, based upon maintenance records and manufacturer's history of engine issues (more on this below), owner should not be liable for investigating a well known issue. At the time of this writing, the issue has been escalated beyond the dealership and warranty to Hyundai Motor America, and currently awaiting the results of their findings. - symptoms of the problem include constant oil leak from vehicle purchase in May 2024 up to engine failure in December 2024. Various temporary remedies (oil changes and repairs, including oil drain plug gasket replacement, crush washer replacement, and replacement of cracked oil pan) did not fix the issue. Additionally, in the October incident, Hyundai dealership (Sport Durst Hyundai, Durham, NC) simply updated the knock sensor detection (KDS) software, despite the vehicle previously receiving the update in 2019 (this can be verified). Finally, owner, noted "engine knocking" (aka 'tapping') in vehicle prior to engine failure. - Hyundai (the manufacturer) settled a class action lawsuit in 2021. Vehicle is one of the vehicles listed under Class Vehicles, but dealer, nor warranty company, nor Hyundai seem to want to resolve issue, which both alienates owner and presents a safety hazard, as the vehicle is unsafe to drive. All claims here will be supposed via documentation and images.