NHTSA Complaint #11687730 — 2015 HYUNDAI SONATA

Dear NHTSA Investigations Team, We are the owners of a 2015 Hyundai Sonata, purchased in 2016 and still in use today. This vehicle is suffering from severe engine issues linked to the Theta II engine defect, which has been the subject of recalls and class action lawsuits. For nearly a year, we have been forced to add approximately 2 quarts of oil every week due to extreme oil consumption. This is unsustainable, unsafe, and clearly linked to the known recall defect. The most serious incident occurred when my wife was driving on [XXX] in North Carolina, and the vehicle suddenly lost power. It could not maintain safe highway speed and had to be pulled off the interstate, requiring a tow more than an hour back to our home. This was a frightening event that could easily have caused a crash. We later discovered that our vehicle was included in the Theta II engine recall, but we never received notice due to a change of address. Despite this, Hyundai Motor America has refused to help, citing that the recall was “closed.” Shockingly, one representative even told us to “keep putting oil in it until the engine blows,” at which point they might reconsider. This is an unsafe and negligent response to a well-documented safety defect. To make matters worse, when reviewing our VIN for other recalls, we found that the panoramic roof air dam recall was falsely listed as “repaired.” We never received notification of that recall, and the repair was never performed. The air dam detached years ago, and we have avoided using the sunroof since then due to noise and safety concerns. We have contacted Hyundai corporate multiple times, and we also filed a formal complaint with the North Carolina Attorney General’s office. To date, we have received no resolution and no meaningful response to our case from either Hyundai or their representatives. Summary of Issues: 1. Failure to notify us of the Theta II engine defect recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)