NHTSA complaint: 2011 HYUNDAI SONATA — STEERING
ONE OF MY RELATIVES DIED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT IN HER NEW 2011 SONATA, WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED ON 10/28/2010 BY HYUNDAI MOTOR ALABAMA. THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED ON A COMMUNITY WEBSITE. HTTP://WWW.NORTHJERSEY.COM/NEWS/TRANSPORTATION/RIDGEFIELD_PARK_ACCIDENT_KILLS_WOMAN_CLOSES_ROUTE_80_DETOURED_MILK_TRUCK_OVERTURNS.HTML IN A NUTSHELL, SHE WAS DRIVING IN THE EASTBOUND LOCAL LANES OF ROUTE 80 WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER CAR. THE VEHICLE ROLLED UP ONTO A DIVIDER BETWEEN THE EXPRESS AND LOCAL LANES AND HIT THE END OF THE GUARDRAIL TO THE LEFT OF HER CAR. THE IMPACT SPUN HER VEHICLE INTO THE PATH OF A TRACTOR-TRAILER. THE TRAILER STRUCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, AND SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. THE SUBSEQUENT AUTOPSY REPORT COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS CAUSING HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POWER STEERING OF 2011 SONATA ON VARIOUS WEBSITES. ONE OF THEM IS THE WEBSITE OF AUTO RECALLS FOR CONSUMERS HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2011/HYUNDAI/SONATA/STEERING/PROBLEM.ASPX 177 OUT OF 266 COMPLAINTS (67%) ON 6/12/2011 ARE RELATED TO THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, BECAUSE IT PULLS THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT STRONGER AND STRONGER AS THE SPEED ACCELERATES ABOVE 25 MPH. SADLY, THE UNDERLYING CAUSE IS HARD TO DETECT, BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING OF THIS VEHICLE IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. THOSE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS APPEAR TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE OF T
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation