NHTSA complaint: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA — ENGINE
Driving from home to a shopping center, approximately 25 miles, I did not observe any unusual noises nor smoke nor dashboard warning lights. Once I parked and shut off the engine in the shopping center parking lot, I observed a small amount of thick, white smoke coming from the hood on the front passenger side of my car, and then the smoke abruptly stopped. I was concerned enough that I decided I should probably move my car to a parking space a bit further away from the store I planned to go into in order to be further away from other vehicles. I started the engine again, and once again, no smoke nor unusual noises nor warning lights. I drove around to the next parking aisle and parked in a different parking space. Once I turned off the engine again, the smoke then immediately started from the right side of the hood again and quickly smoke started coming from the left side of the hood. I was quickly trying to grab my things to get out of the car as I saw the paint starting to peel off of the hood of my car. I was barely able to get out of my car as fire flames and very thick white smoke were then emerging from the hood. A person in the parking lot called 911 for me, and the local fire department arrived and put the fire out that destroyed my car. I am in the process of securing the Fire Marshall's lengthy report. At the present time, my vehicle is at our home where we paid to have it towed.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation