NHTSA Complaint #11708428 — 2023 HYUNDAI SONATA

Hello Sir/Madam, While driving on Interstate I-75 at approximately 70 mph, the yellow check engine warning light suddenly illuminated. Immediately afterward, the vehicle began to shake violently, lose engine power, and run extremely rough. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power, and pressing the accelerator pedal did not result in normal response or acceleration. The throttle input was significantly reduced, making it difficult to maintain speed and safely control the vehicle. At highway speed and in heavy highway traffic, if we had not been able to safely exit the roadway, this loss of control could have put not only the occupants of this vehicle but also other drivers at serious risk. Fortunately, we were already in the exit lane, and a McDonald’s parking lot was located immediately off the exit. This allowed us to leave the highway quickly. Otherwise, this situation could have been extremely dangerous in active, heavy highway traffic. As the vehicle continued to shake, a strong smell of gasoline and a burning odor entered the cabin, raising concerns about a possible fire hazard. We safely stopped the vehicle in the McDonald’s parking lot and then shut the engine off due to the severity of the symptoms. After shutting the vehicle off, we attempted to restart it, but the engine would not start. The vehicle had to be towed to a Hyundai service center for inspection. The Hyundai service center later confirmed that the failure was caused by a faulty fuel injector, and they have changed all 4 injectors as I attached receipt from Hyundai This failure created a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of engine power, reduced accelerator response, severe shaking at highway speed, and fuel and burning odors inside the cabin. Regards