NHTSA Complaint #11683104 — 2014 HYUNDAI TUCSON

The engine experienced catastrophic failure. A piston punctured the engine block, likely due to failure of the connecting rods, an issue known to be associated with the recalled Theta II engine. The engine is still in the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. We were scared and felt seriously endangered during the incident. The engine failed suddenly while we were driving on a busy highway. After a loud clunk, the vehicle immediately lost acceleration and would not respond to throttle input. We had to quickly pull over onto the shoulder while traffic sped past us at high speeds. The sudden loss of power in fast-moving traffic put us at serious risk of being rear-ended or causing an accident. It was a frightening experience that could have resulted in injury or worse. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed there is a hole in the engine block caused by a piston. We brought the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership for further inspection. Still, their communication has been poor, and they have not yet confirmed whether they acknowledge the issue or its relation to the Theta II engine recall. Our independent mechanic has inspected the vehicle and is currently with a Hyundai dealership for inspection. It has not been checked by police or insurance representatives. No third-party inspector has been involved beyond the dealer and mechanic. There were no warning lights, error messages, noises, or performance symptoms before the failure. The engine failure was sudden and occurred without any prior indication of a problem.