NHTSA Complaint #710408 — 1993 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BECAME DISABLED AS I WAS DRIVING ON HYWY. A/C BELT BROKE AT SAME TIME. CAR WOULD NOT OPERATE AND HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE TOW CAR HOME.TOOK CAR TO LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. AUTO REPAIR SERVICEMAN DID VISUAL CHECK, ATTEMPTED TO START ENGINE AND ENGINE TURNED OVER WEAKLY. SERVICEMAN REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE COMPRESSION WHICH POINTED TO TIMING CHAIN PROBLEMS. A KNOCKING SOUND INDICATED THAT AT TIME ENGINE FAILED THERE WAS DAMAGE TO VALVE(S). I INFORMED HIM THAT A BELT HAD BUSTED AND TO PLEASE LOOK INTO IT. HE DID AND HAD ME START ENGINE SO HE COULD VISUALLY CHECK CRANKSHAFT PULLEY. HE ADDED THAT IT TOO(CRANKSHAFT PULLEY) APPEARED TO BE VIBRATING AND NEEDED SERVICING. THE BUSTED BELT WAS THE A/C BELT. SERVICEMAN INFORMED ME THAT IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN DEGREE OF DAMAGE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN APART TO ACCESS HEADS AND VALVES. HE ESTIMATED REPAIRS WOULD RUN CLOSE TO $1,500. OR MORE. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE CAR FROM ITS ORIGINAL OWNER A MONTH AGO. THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS METICULOUS ABOUT KEEPING IT MAINTAINED AND PROVIDED ALL INVOICES OF WORK DONE ON THE VEHICLE. HE HAD JUST REPLACED TIMING CHAIN A YEAR AGO. HAVE NOT HAD WORK DONE AS I CANNOT AFFORD THE REPAIR COSTS.