NHTSA Complaint #11663949 — 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA

I am writing to formally request reconsideration of a denied warranty claim regarding my [XXX] son's 2016 Hyundai Sonata, which recently suffered complete engine failure and Hyundai has denied. The vehicle is equipped with the Theta II engine, which is widely known to be associated with engine failure risks and is covered under Hyundai’s extended warranty program. Despite this, my warranty claim was denied due to the fact that two recall-related services were not completed. I would like to respectfully challenge this decision for the following reasons: The engine failure is consistent with the known defects in the Theta II engine, which Hyundai has acknowledged through its extended warranty program and recall campaigns. I was not properly informed of the outstanding recalls or their impact on warranty eligibility. We purchased the vehicle in November 2024 and had not received any notifications of these recalls. Had I been made aware of these recalls I would have taken immediate action but again, I was not ever notified. The failure of the engine is unrelated to any owner negligence and should be covered regardless of recall status, especially under a defect-related extended warranty program. The failure has left my son without a functioning vehicle and facing a costly engine replacement for an issue Hyundai has accepted responsibility for in thousands of similar cases. He started working at [XXX] to begin saving for his first vehicle. He spent $8,000 of his own money and is now devastated by an issue outside of his control. I am requesting a full reconsideration of my claim and repair costs under the extended warranty program. Due to the Engine failure my sons car locked up and died while traveling with passengers. This was a terrifying safety event as my son was stuck in the driving lane with traffic until the car could be towed. Please let me know what additional information you need to review my case. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5