2013 Hyundai Elantra

NOTICED WHEN I TEST DROVE THIS VEHICLE IN APRIL 2013 WHEN IT HIT SMALL BUMPS IN THE ROAD IT SEEMED UNSTEADY IN THE BACK. THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE DYNAMICS OF A NEW VEHICLE I WOULD GET USED TO. I'M USED TO DRIVING DYNAMICS OF SMALL VEHICLES. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW TIMES WHERE I'VE BEEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 20-70MPH WHEN I HIT A BUMP ON A STRAIGHT/CURVED ROAD AND VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE WILDLY AND FEEL LIKE IT WAS OUT OF CONTROL. TODAY WE HAVE SNOW COVERED/SLUSHY ROADS AND I'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY CAUTIOUS. AT ~60MPH ON I70 (WHICH WAS CLEAR AND PLOWED), I MOVED TO THE PASSING LANE TO GO AROUND A SLOWER VEHICLE BEFORE A CREEK BRIDGE. WHEN I HIT THE EDGE OF THE BRIDGE I COMPLETED THE MANEUVER, BUT A SMALL LIP ON THE SECTION OF BRIDGE MEETING THE ROAD CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL AND ALMOST HIT THE VEHICLE NEXT TO ME. I WAS FIGHTING FOR CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR 300 FEET, WHICH IS WORSE THAN I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN THIS VEHICLE, HENCE THE REASON I WROTE THIS COMPLAINT. IT FELT LIKE ANOTHER EXPERIENCE I HAD IN A FIAT WITH A BENT REAR AXLE, EVERY TIME IT WOULD HOP OVER A BUMP IT WOULD WOBBLE IN THE BACK END AND YET IT FELT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE I COULDN'T CORRECT IT QUICKLY WHEN THE CAR SHOULD HAVE SETTLED. FROM READING OTHER PEOPLE'S COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS PLAUSIBLE THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THE ELANTRA MAY IN FACT BE IN THE FRONT END WITH THE POWER STEERING AUTO-CORRECT TO CENTER. THAT IS WHAT IT FELT LIKE I WAS FIGHTING THOSE 300 FEET, NOT THE DYNAMICS OF THE FOUR WHEELS NOT BEING SQUARE ON THE ROAD, BUT INSTEAD LIKE AS IF THE CAR WAS FIGHTING ME. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL WITH KIDS IN THE CAR. JUDGING FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR DEALERS ON THE ISSUE, WHAT IS THE POINT IF THEY'RE JUST GOING TO GIVE US THE RUN-AROUND AND INCONVENIENCE US EVEN MORE BY WITHHOLDING OUR VEHICLES AND THEN GIVING THEM BACK WITHOUT A FIX? *TR

I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ACROSS A BRIDGE THE BACK END STARTED TO FISHTAIL IT WENT BACK AND FORTH SEVERAL TIMES- I COULD NOT GET IT UNDER CONTROL IT FINALLY SPUN OUT AND KILLED LOOKING INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. THE FISH TAILING HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR 6 WEEKS AND AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR. WHAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS. *TR

THE BRAKES MAKE HORRIBLE CREAKING AND GRINDING NOISES WHEN WET. SOMETIMES IT WILL EVEN CAUSE THE CAR TO SHAKE. I HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY DO NOT TAKE THIS SERIOUS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. I JUST TOOK IT IN LAST WEEK AND THEY EVEN TRIED TO GET ME TO PAY 100 FOR A CLEANING OF THE BRAKE COMPONENTS, I FEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO FIX A PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND HAVE HAD IT IN SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. I AM NOT CONFIDENT DRIVING THE CAR NOW AND CLEARLY NO ONE WOULD WANT IT BUY IT OFF US WHEN IT MAKES SUCH HORRIBLE NOISES. I ALSO BELIEVE IT CANNOT BE SAFE AND WILL CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS AND / OR POSSIBLE THE BALL JOINTS OR FRONT STEERING SUSPENSION. I THINK THEY HAVE A FAULTY DESIGN IN THE BRAKE HYDRAULICS AND THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURES BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ARE NOT RIGHT. *TR

THE REAR OF THE CAR SHIFTS DRAMATICALLY WHEN HITTING EVEN SMALL BUMPS IN THE ROAD AT SPEEDS FROM 25-30 MPH UP TO HIGHWAY SPEED. SHIFTS OCCUR EVEN MORE DRAMATICALLY WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP ON A CURVE. CHECKED TIRE PRESSURE AND HAD MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK. I HAVE SEEN POSTS OF OTHERS WITH THIS VERY COMPLAIN, BUT HAVE NOT SEEN IT ADDRESSED BY HYUNDAI. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2013 ELANTRA GT IN MAY OF THIS YEAR. A WEEK AFTER TAKING IT HOME THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT WENT OFF WHILE DRIVING. WE PULLED OVER & IMMEDIATELY BLUE LINK SENT AN ALERT TELLING ME A MALFUNCTION IN MY TPMS WAS FOUND & TO TAKE THE CAR TO SERVICE ASAP. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP & WAS TOLD THAT IS WAS A SIMPLE LEARNING FAILURE. RESET CODE & WAS SENT ON MY WAY. THE NEXT WEEK THE CAR DID THE SAME THING WITH THE TPMS. BACK TO THE DEALER IT WENT. HAD IT SCANNED AGAIN. WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG & THEY CLEARED THE CODES THRU BLUE LINK. I WAS THEN TOLD TO JUST IGNORE IT & IT SHOULD BE OK. MOSTLY IT IS JUST ELECTRONICALLY INTERFERENCE. I PARKED THE CAR & USED MY HUSBANDS CAR FOR A WHILE. I START USING MY CAR & GOING DOWN 295 IT HAPPENED AGAIN. PULLED OVER & BLUE LINK SENT THE ALERT AGAIN. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP & MADE AN APPOINTMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD A CERTIFIED HYUNDAI PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIAN THAT WAS GOING TO LOOK MY CAR OVER. AFTER 4 HRS OF WAITING I WAS GIVEN A PAPER ASKING ME NOT TO USE ELECTRONICS IN THE CAR AS THIS WAS CAUSING MY TPMS ISSUE. THEY PAPER WAS DATED MARCH 2007. REALLY? AT THAT POINT I WAS FRUSTRATED SO I CALLED HYUNDAI CORP OFFICE. AFTER AN HR CONVERSATION I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. SO THAT FRIDAY OFF THE CAR WENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. AT THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT BAD & THAT MY TIRES WERE OVER INFLATED BY 8LBS EACH. SO 3 HRS & A LOT OF PATIENCE I WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS ALL SET. 20 MINS AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP THE TPMS LIGHT GOES OFF AGAIN WITH THE BLUE LINK ALERT TO SERVICE THE CAR ASAP. THE FOLLOWING DAY BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THIS TRIP I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A SENSOR CHANGED. 3 HRS LATER I LEAVE & HALF WAY HOME TPMS AGAIN. THAT'S 5 TIMES NO REPAIR. NOW THEY CAN'T PROVIDE ME A LOANER BUT WANT TO KEEP THE CAR OVERNIGHT. CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR 2 WEEKS WAITING. *JB

THE 2011 THROUGH 2013 ELANTRA'S HAVE THIS SAME INHERENT ISSUE IN WHICH THE REAR OF THE CAR IS NOT ENGINEERED TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE OR TRACK PROPERLY OVER BUMPS AND DIPS IN THE ROAD. I HAVE TAKEN MY 2013 ELANTRA LIMITED TO MCCARTHY BLUE SPRINGS HYUNDAI AND CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REQUESTED CONTACT BY THEIR DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER OVER THE PAST YEAR BUT IT HAS BEEN OVER 2 MONTHS AND NO RESPONSE FROM THE DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER (TODAY IS 8-27-2013). THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE BUT SAY ITS THE WAY THE CAR IS MADE AND THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. THE PROBLEM IS AN ISSUE IN TURNS AND CAN KICK THE CAR OUT OF LINE IN WET, SNOWY OR ICY CONDITIONS SO MUCH THAT THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST MUST INTERVENE. THESE ARE NOT CONDITIONS THAT MY OTHER CAR HAS AN ISSUE WITH OR ANY CAR THAT I'VE OWNED IN THE PAST THAT DID NOT HAVE VSA. THE ISSUE IS NOT DUE TO THE REAR END OF THE CAR BEING LIGHT DUE TO NOT HAVING A SPARE TIRE AS SOME HAVE BEEN TOLD, THIS ISSUE IS PURELY THE FAULT OF HYUNDAI AND MAY EVEN INVOLVE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING NOT BEING PROPERLY TUNED TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE AS THE WHEEL WILL ABRUPTLY RETURN TO A POSITION FAR LEFT OF CENTER. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER 2011 TO 2013 ELANTRA OWNERS AND THEY HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINTS AND I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER CARS AND THEY EXHIBIT THE SAME ISSUE. ITS LONG OVERDUE FOR A RECALL NHTSA. *TR

WHEN I DROVE THE NEW CAR OFF THE LOT IT BEGAN PULLING TO THE RIGHT, BUT SINCE WE BOUGHT IT LATE ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ALSO CAME ON (I'M REFERRING TO THE LIGHT BY THE TACHOMETER, NOT THE ONE BELOW THE RADIO). BLUELINK PERFORMED AN INSPECTION REMOTELY & SAID TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ASAP. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP & THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO KEEP THE CAR UNTIL MONDAY, BUT WE WERE MOVING TO A DIFFERENT CITY THEREFORE WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP IN OUR NEW CITY INSTEAD. I TOLD THE STORY TO THE SERVICE DEPT, LEFT THE CAR THERE AT THE NEW DEALERSHIP, 2 DAYS LATER I CAME BACK TO GET IT. THE AIR BAG ISSUE WAS FIXED BUT NOT THE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE ALIGNMENT SPECIALIST CAME WITH ME TO TEST IT, REALIZED THAT IT WAS STILL PULLING, WE WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP & SWITCHED THE TWO FRONT TIRES & WENT AGAIN FOR ANOTHER TEST. THE SPECIALIST REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS NOW PULLING TO THE LEFT. WE TEST DROVE THE CAR OVER 8 TIMES, THEY SAID ALIGNMENT WAS GOOD & ONLY ATTEMPTED TO ROTATE THE TIRES MULTIPLE TIMES, CAR STILL PULLED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP, THEY AGREED THE CAR WAS PULLING BUT WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE ANOTHER DEALERSHIP HAD ALREADY INSPECTED IT & I WOULD HAVE TO PAY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS BARELY TWO WKS OLD! I WENT BACK TO THE PREVIOUS DEALERSHIP, WE TESTED IT AGAIN WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. THEY TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, WHEN CLEARLY THE CAR STILL PULLS STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT. I HAD TO ESCALATE THE PROBLEM TO HYUNDAI USA AS THE DEALERSHIP WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FURTHER. AFTER READING THE OWNERS MANUAL, IT CLEARLY STATES THAT THE POWER STEERING SHOULD BE CHECKED IF THE CAR IS IN ALIGNMENT, YET PULLING TO ONE SIDE. THE DEALERSHIP NEVER RECOMMENDED THIS, NOR DID ANY TESTING OF THE STEERING. *TR

THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC TRAVELING AROUND 60 MPH. IT FIRST BEGAN WHEN I FELT AN UNBALANCE OF THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE. THE CAR SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT REGARDLESS OF MY EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. MY CAR FISHTAILED FOR A MOMENTS AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER CAR. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE CAR WHEN MY CAR CRASHED INTO THE WALL THAT LINED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. AFTER VISUALLY INSPECTING THE WHEEL, IT APPEARED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT RIM WAS CUT IN A HALF VERTICALLY AND ALL AROUND. IT WAS CUT IN A NEAR-PERFECT STRAIGHT LINE - SIMILAR TO WHAT A OPENED CAN LOOKS LIKE. THE TIRE REMAINED FULLY INTACT WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE. THE BODY SHOP MECHANICS TOLD US THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THE RIM CUT LIKE THAT BEFORE AND SAID THE ONLY EXPLANATION WOULD BE A DEFECT IN THE RIM. WE HAVE PICTURES AND CAN PROVIDE THEM UPON REQUEST. THE BODY SHOP MECHANICS AND INSURANCE ADJUSTERS ARE ALL CLUELESS TO HOW AND WHY THIS OCCURRED. PLEASE OPEN AN INVESTIGATION TO HELP US DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE TOTAL ESTIMATE OF THE COSTS HAVE ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND $14000. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA ON JUNE 18, 2012 FROM DICK HANNAH VOLKSWAGEN HYUNDAI OF PORTLAND, OREGON. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, I BEGAN HEARING A NOISE COMING FROM THE TRUNK AREA. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT ON AUGUST 24, 2012. INITIALLY, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY TRIED TO USE EPOXY TO FIX THE NOISE AND I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 36 HOURS (OVER THE WEEKEND) TO LET IT DRY. ON MONDAY, THE SOUND WAS STILL THERE AND THEY RAN FURTHER TESTS. I WAS THEN INFORMED ON WEDNESDAY THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE COLLISION CENTER IN VANCOUVER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. ON THURSDAY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A PART RE-WELDED. I REALLY WAS NOT TOLD EXACTLY WHAT WAS BEING WELDED AT THAT POINT, BUT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE READY UNTIL THE NEXT WEEK (FOLLOWING THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND). FINALLY, ON TUESDAY I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, [XXX] AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD CONTACTED HYUNDAI TO SEE IF OTHERS HAD ENCOUNTERED THE SAME NOISE. A HYUNDAI ENGINEER HAD TO COME OUT AND HELP DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY VERIFIED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK TOWER. THEY REMOVED THE REINFORCEMENT CAP AND SHOCK TOWER AND FOUND TWO SPOTS MISSED BY FACTORY WELDER, WHICH DID NOT PROPERLY ADHERE THE STRUT TOWER TO THE CAR BODY AND SIGNS OF RUBBING MAKING THE NOISE. THEY WERE ABLE TO CLEAN UP THE AREA AND RE-WELD THE PIECE TOGETHER. THEY REINSTALLED THE RIGHT REAR SHOCK TOWER AND REINFORCEMENT CAP TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. I AM TOLD THAT HYUNDAI NOW HAS A FILE ON MY CAR. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012. A FULL TWO WEEKS AFTER I BROUGHT IT IN FOR THE NOISE. THIS IS CLEARLY A HUGE SAFETY DEFECT AND OTHERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF IT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR