2009 Hyundai Elantra

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V100000 (STEERING) IN 2015. FOUR YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE EPS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING LOST POWER AND BECAME STIFF. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LYNNES HYUNDAI (877-358-9715, LOCATED AT 401 BLOOMFIELD AVE, BLOOMFIELD, NJ 07003) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.

WE HAVE HAD THE RECALL FOR THE EPS REPAIRED A FEW YEARS AGO. A FEW YEARS LATER THE EPS CAME ON AGAIN AND ALMOST CRASHED THE CAR/NO POWER STEERING. WE AGAIN TOOK IT TO A DEALER IN LAUREL, MD AND THEY SAID WE HAD ANOTHER RECALL AND THEY DOWNLOADED THE FIX/NO CHARGE. WELL ABOUT 2 YEARS LATER/TODAY THE EPS CAME ON AND AGAIN ALMOST CRASHED THE CAR. IT IS INTERMITTENT, I WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOME NO PROBLEM. WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO A BOWIE, MD DEALER WHO CAN'T GET TO IT FOR 10 DAYS! WE ARE CONCERNED IT IS THE SAME RECALLED ISSUE AND CAN NOT BE FIXED. NOW WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR IN FEAR THERE IS NO SOLUTION AND WE CAN NOT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR AT THIS TIME. PLEASE HELP! THANKS! REGARDS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I TRIED TO STEER OFF TO THE LEFT TO AVOID A CAR FROM HITTING ME FROM THE RIGHT. THIS LED TO THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING AND THE CAR SPINNING OUT. I TRIED TO GET CONTROL OF THE WHEEL BUT COULD NOT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SPIN UNTIL IT CRASHED INTO THE GUARD RAILING, SMASHING THE RIGHT SIDE AND RIGHT FRONT. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS DENTED INTO THE CAR MAKING IT UNDRIVEABLE.

THE EPS LIGHT WENT ON AND I LOST POWER STEERING. LUCKILY I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY OR I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE. HYUNDAI DID A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE BACK IN 2015 BUT IT WAS JUST A SYSTEM UPDATE FOR THE STEERING MODULE BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A SHORT TERM SOLUTION. I HAVE FOUND OVER A HUNDRED COMPLAINTS WHERE OTHER CUSTOMERS ARE HAVING TH SAME SAFETY ISSUE AND I REALLY THINK HYUNDAI NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE STEERING IN THE '09 ELANTRAS ARE UNSAFE AND WILL EVENTUALLY POSSIBLY KILL SOMEONE.

EPS LIGHT CAME ON DASH 3-1313/2019-19 .FILLED OUT VIN # ONLINE AND WAS TOLD VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER RECALL AND TO MAKE APPOINTMENT AT BOB KING DEALERSHIP FOR FRIDAY AT 5 PM 3-15-19 IN WINSTON SALEM N.C. SO WE DROVE 27 MILES ONE WAY TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT . 1 HOUR LATER WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED . GOT IN VEHICLE TO LEAVE AND NOTICED LIGHT WAS STILL ON AND WENT BACK IN TO TELL THEM . WAS TOLD TO BRING BACK NEXT DAY 3-16-19 SAT AT 8 AM . WAS THERE WHEN OPENED UP AND AFTER APPROX.1 HR. WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $120.00 PER HR. TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT , SO WE AGREED TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $ 2390.00 FOR REPLACEMENT OF PART THAT IS OR SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER RECALL .TECH SAID HE WOULD SEE IF HYUNDAI WOULD COVER COST AND WOULD LET US KNOW THE FOLLOWING MON. OR TUES. . DID NOT HEAR FROM BOB KING TILL WE CALLED THEM BACK ON 3-21-19 AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HYUNDAI . CALLED THEM BACK 3-28-19 AND WAS TOLD HYUNDAI WOULD NOT COVER REPLACEMENT . THAT IS TWO TRIPS EACH WAY . I DO NOT KNOW IF HYUNDAI OR BOB KING IS RESPONSIBLE , BUT NOW THE VIN # IS NOT UNDER RECALL . I SUSPECT UNDER HANDED DEALINGS FROM ONE OR THE OTHER OR BOTH . I COULD UNDERSTAND IF CAR HAS BEEN FIXED UNDER RECALL BEFORE , BUT WAS TOLD THIS VIN # WAS VALID AND NOW THE HYUNDAI COORP. REFUSES TO HONOR THEIR RECALL ! SO FAR LIGHT IS ONLY SIGN OF PROBLEM , BUT STEERING MAY LOCK UP WHY VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN AND POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCIDENT . RECALL # 127

A STEADY "EPS" LIGHT CAME ON MY HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2009. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 9/2018. THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE MALFUNCTIONS WHILE DRIVING. A FEW WEEKS LATER, HOWEVER, THE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, AND WHEN TRYING TO REVERSE FROM DRIVEWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD AND I INITIALLY COULD NOT TURN IT. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON, I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE WHEEL AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF. HOWEVER, A WEEK OF TWO LATER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THIS TIME FLASHING, AND THE STEERING WHEEL KIND OF GOT STUCK. I COULD HARDLY HANDLED IT. THAT SITUATION WAS VERY SCARY. THEN, THE LIGHT BECAME STEADY, AND I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE WHEEL WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. BUT LAST WEEK, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND SAME THING HAPPENED -THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME TOO HARD TO TURN. ON 12/15/2018, I TOOK THE CAR TO HYUNDAI SERVICE AND A DIAGNOSIS WAS DONE (PAID $128.00 REFUNDABLE ONLY IF REPAIRS WERE NEEDED AND DONE AT THEIR SHOP). MY CAR HAS 79,909 MILES, BUT I TOLD IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS PAST 60K MILES). THE DIAGNOSIS WAS AN "INTERNAL FAILURE OF MOTOR DRIVEN POWER STEERING MOTOR," WHICH WOULD COST $2,188.21 TO REPAIR. THIS CAR HAD BEEN RECALLED TWICE FOR POWER STEERING ISSUES (RECALL 127 ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SOFTWARE AND CAMPAIGN "ELANTRA AND SONATA STEERING COUPLING". IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONS ON 2009 HYUNDAI ELANTRA AND LATER MODELS, AS WELL AS OTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLES, WHICH HAD ALSO INVOLVED MALFUNCTIONS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS, LIFE-THREATENING MALFUNCTION, WHICH SHOULD BE PROMPTLY INVESTIGATED. I HOPE HYUNDAI AND BRAND/MAKER VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM ARE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BEFORE A LIFE IS LOST DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION.

STEERING MAKES CLICKING SOUNDS, WHEN MOVED FROM A CENTER POSITION, EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. STEERING SEEMS TO 'STICK' I.E. DOES NOT MOVE SMOOTHLY. THE CULPRIT IS A "STEERING COUPLING" MADE OUT OF PLASTIC THAT COUPLES THE STEERING MOTOR TO THE STEERING COLUMN. KNOWING THIS IS A DEFECT, HYUNDAI QUIETLY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON ITS REPLACEMENT TO 100,000 MILES. HOWEVER THEY DID NOT SEND OUT A NOTIFICATION LETTER TO VEHICLE OWNERS. MYSELF AND MANY OTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLE OWNERS ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS WOULD LEAD TO LOOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, LEADING TO ACCIDENTS AND LOSS OF LIFE. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE DESIGN, AND INCORRECT CHOICE OF COUPLING MATERIAL, WHICH IS BOUND TO GET WORN OFF OFTEN, SINCE IT IS A PLASTIC PART SITTING BETWEEN TWO METALLIC PARTS MOVING AGAINST EACH OTHER. THIS SHOULD BE A DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE FIXED REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. INSTEAD NHTSA HAS APPARENTLY ALLOWED THE COMPANY TO JUST EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON FIXING THIS; SO IT DOESN'T NEED TO BEAR THE EXPENSES AS VEHICLES GO BEYOND 100,000 MILES. IT TAKES $400-$500 TO FIX MAINLY DUE TO LABOR EXPENSES, TO REPLACE A $5 PART WHICH IS HARD TO REACH. NHTSA HAS TO DO A BETTER JOB AT PROTECTING THE CONSUMERS AGAINST ISSUES WHICH ARE A RESULT OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN WHICH CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND LOSS OF LIFE. HTTPS://AUTOSERVICE.HYUNDAIUSA.COM/TXX7/MICROSITETEMPLATE/MICROSITETEMPLATEVINVALIDATE/2687

I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE JUNE 5TH AND I STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANYWHERE. DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO ACCIDENT ON OR ABOUT MAY 14, 2018, I NOTICED THE EPS LIGHT WAS LIT UP ON MY DASHBOARD ON MAY 21, 2018 MY CAR WAS SERVICED BY __________ TO CORRECT RECALL #127- EPS MODULE FAILURE. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE OTHER TWO RECALLS UNTIL THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT DAY! WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP THE CAR WAS FINE AND THE EPS LIGHT WAS NO LONGER LIT UP. ON MAY 25TH/26TH I NOTICED THAT THE EPS LIGHT WAS LIT UP AGAIN ON MY DASHBOARD. I CALLED _____________ TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THIS AND THEY SIMPLY TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN TO BE LOOKED AT. DATE, LOCATION AND DETAILS OF ACCIDENT ON TUESDAY, MAY 29TH, 2018 I WAS DRIVING IN THE VICINITY OF ______________. IT WAS AROUND 7:00 PM. I WAS THE LAST OF SEVERAL CARS IN MY LANE, OUR GREEN LIGHT WAS TURNING YELLOW SO I BEGAN TO REDUCE MY SPEED. I GLANCE DOWN THEN LOOK UP TO SEE THAT THE CAR AHEAD, A COUPLE OF FEET IN FRONT OF ME HAD COME TO A PREMATURE COMPLETE STOP. I TRIED TO CHANGE/SWITCH LANES BUT DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO STEER AND/OR TURN OR MOVE THE WHEEL. AS A RESULT, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FORCEFULLY HIT THE BRAKE AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP, STOPPING SHORT WHICH CAUSED ME TO BANG DIRECTLY INTO THE REAR END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW THE EPS LIGHT IS STILL LIT AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE MY CAR TO GET TO AND FROM WORK. I NOTIFIED HYUNDAI ABOUT THIS AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ME SINCE MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT ON JUNE 5TH AND THEY HAVE NOT OFFERED ME THE USE OF A LOANER CAR FOR THE TIME BEING. I WARNED THEM THAT I WAS AFRAID I WOULD HAVE ANOTHER ACCIDENT AND THEY ARE STILL NOT TAKING ACTION.

I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE EPS LIGHT WAS ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. THIS STARTED HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. AT FIRST THEY UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND IT WORKED FOR A WEEK. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY SAID THAT I NEEDED A NEW STEERING COLUMN AT THE COST OF $2200.00. ON 8/1/2015, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL ON THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. RECALL 127. SUPPOSEDLY, THIS PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF, BUT IT WAS JUST POSTPONED. I BELIEVE THE CURRENT INCIDENT IS RELATED TO THE RECALL. I WOULD LIKE HYUNDAI TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS THAT I FOUND IN THE INTERNET. HTTPS://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/CONSUMER-COMPLAINT/2009/HYUNDAI/ELANTRA/STEERING