NHTSA complaint: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA — ENGINE
2011 SONATA TURBO PURCHASED BRAND NEW BY A FAMILY MEMBER MAINTAINED AND GARAGE KEPT. IN MARCH OF 2013 AND WITH 76,364 MILES ON THE CAR I EXPERIENCED WHAT HYUNDAI CATEGORIZED AS A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM, NO WARNING LIGHTS, THE ENGINE SPUN A ROD BEARING AND THREW A PISTON ROD THROUGH THE BLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, ASSESSED AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. DURING THE REPAIRS, A LONG BLOCK ENGINE WAS PUT IN THE VEHICLE AND WHEN CRANKED AT THE DEALERSHIP, VIBRATED SO BAD THAT THEY DETERMINED THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. A 3RD ENGINE WAS PLACED IN THE CAR AND AT 85,960 MILES ON JULY 29, 2013 THE 3RD ENGINE DID THE SAME THING AS THE FIRST ENGINE, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO INDICATION ANYTHING WAS WRONG, SPUN A ROD BEARING AND THREW THE SAME LOCATION CYLINDER PISTON ROD THREW THE BLOCK AND IN THIS CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. FORTUNATELY IT DID PUT ITSELF OUT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DIFFERENT HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP, ASSESSED AND DETERMINED AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED. HYUNDAI IS STILL UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE FOR BOTH CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURES. 24 HOURS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED W/ REPLACEMENT MOTOR, MY GARAGE FLOOR AND DRIVEWAY WERE COVERED IN MOTOR OIL. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP TO FILL THE OIL LEVEL AND DRIVE THE CAR IN FOR ASSESSMENT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE OIL SENDING UNIT TUBE WAS NOT PROPERLY THREADED INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK,
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation