1998 Hyundai Elantra

CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A HIGHWAY 295N IN NEW JERSEY. TIRE(S) APPARENTLY BLEW CAUSING THE TREAD FROM THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE TO KNOCK THE PLASTIC COVERING LOOSE FROM THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH CAME LOOSE CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. DEALER IS CLAIMING TIRES WERE NOT MAINTAINED PROPERLY CAUSING THE FAILURE THEREFORE THE PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. ALSO THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER WENT OUT ON 10/7/99 AND AGREED THAT THE TIRES CAUSED THE DAMAGE AND WSA NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE. MY 22 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME SO I HAVE TO RELY ON HIS ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, THE CAR SHIMMIED AND HE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LOST ALL POWER TO THE CAR.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHUDDERED WHEN ACCELERATING OUT OF A CORNER, EVENTUALLY STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF DRIVE; ONCE, CAME TO A STOP, TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF DRIVE, COULD NOT GET BACK INTO GEAR. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP ON THREE OCCASIONS. REPLACEMENT #1 ON 1/8/1999, #2 ON 1/29/1999, AND REPLACEMENT #3 ON 6/23/1999. ALSO TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHEN SHUDDERING OCCURRED AFTER FIRST REPLACEMENT, PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED, BUT DIAGNOSTICS COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. *AK

DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED SEVERAL SENSORS AND COMPUTER - STILL STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS - AFTER THE CLUTH IS PUSHED IN AND ARE APPROCHING A STOP THE ENGINE WILL STUMBLE AND EITHER PICK BACK UP OR STALL - THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS HAS NEVER HAPPENED WHEN THEY HAVE IT - HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR 27 DAYS TOTAL. *AK

PURCHASED THE CAR 7/98 AS A DEMO WITH 5500 MILES WITH FULL FACTORY WARRANTY. 1 MONTH LATER IN 8/98, HAD DRIVEN 5100 MILES (WHICH INCLUDED VACATION TO NORTH CAROLINA) AND BOTH FRONT TIRES SHOWING BELTS. SENT TO LOCAL TIRE ALIGNMENT PLACE FOR 2 FREE TIRES AND ALIGNMENT WHEEL BALANCING FOR ALL 4 TIRES. 2 MONTHS LATER (10/98), CAR IS PULLING TO ONE SIDE, SOMETIMES THE OTHER...TIRE WORN AGAIN, REPLACED TIRE AGAIN AFTER 3,800 MILES DRIVEN ON NEW TIRES FREE OF CHARGE. AGAIN ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING COMPLETED. HAVE NOW PUT AN ADDITIONAL 12, 500 MILES ON THESE TIRES, PURPOSELY NOT ROTATING THIS TIME, AS I DID NOT WANT TO WEAR OUT FRONT, SWITCH TO REAR AND WEAR FRONT OUT AGAIN IN SHORT TIME. I WANTED TO SEE HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO SEE WEAR. CAR SHAKES BADLY OVER 55 MPH, ALSO PULLS TO ONE SIDE, BUT SWITCHES OCCASIONALLY AND WILL PULL TO OPPOSITE SIDE. DEALER STATES PROBLEM DUE ONLY TO NOT ROTATING TIRES. I STRONGLY DISAGREE AS THIS HAS BEEN 3 SETS OF TIRES RUINED IN 21,000 MILES. SEVERAL TIRE ALIGNMENT REPS HAVE STATED THAT THEY ARE CONSTANTLY ADJUSTING ALIGNMENT TO HYUNDAI ELANTRA SPECIFICALLY, INCLUDING REP WHO MY DEALER HAS SENT ME TO. ONE IN PARTICULAR STATED ALMOST IDENTICAL PROBLEM IN VERY SHORT TIME WITH SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE WITH ANOTHER CUSTOMER. WILL BE GETTING A SECOND OPINION FROM ALIGNMENT REP OF MY CHOICE 4-28-99, BUT FEEL CAR IS VIRTUAL HAZARD AND ANTICIPATE CONTINUED PROBLEMS, EVEN IF TIRES REPLACED A 4TH TIME. PLEASE ADVISE OF ANY SUGGESTIONS OR IDEAS YOUR DEPARTMENT MAY HAVE REGARDING MY SITUATION. THANK YOU, KIM CHRONISTER. *AK