2004 Hyundai Elantra

WHILE DRIVING TO FLORIDA ON I95 USING CRUISE CONTROL TRAFFIC BEGAN TO BACK UP IN THE RICHMOND AREA SO THE WIFE HIT THE BRAKES. CAR DID NOT DISENGAGE BUT RATHER SPED UP TO THE CONTROL SETTING. REPEATEDLY HITTING THE BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT SO WE HAD TO MANUALLY DISENGAGE THE UNIT. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER OF PURCHASE AS WELL AS TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER WITH NO RESOLUTION OTHER THAN TO PAY FOR THEM TO HUNT DOWN THE PROBLEM. I WAS ABLE TO FIND THAT THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALL BRAKE LIGHTS AND WILL TEMPORARILY FIX ITSELF IF I HIT THE WIRING HARNESS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS.. IT IS NOT DUE TO A FAULTY BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH. THIS WAS REPORTED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIPS WITH THE SAME RESULT THEN TO HYUNDAI USA ON NOV 4, 2010 CASE NUMBER [XXX]. HYUNDAI MAINTAINS IT IS A SERVICE ISSUE AND NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT MY ONLY RECOURSE IS TO PAY THE DEALER TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. I INFORMED THEM THAT IF THEY GOOGLE HYUNDAI BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEMS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE REPORTING LOSS OF BRAKE LIGHTS WHO MAY BE UNAWARE THAT THEIR CRUISE CONTROL MAY DISENGAGE. THEY HAVE CLOSED THE CASE SO I AM REQUESTING THAT THIS BE PUT ON RECORD. CONDITION STILL EXISTS AFTER 6 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR.. IS AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE HARNESS CONNECTOR I BELIEVE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON 3/4/2005, WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE CAR STALLED AND WOULDN'T IMMEDIATELY START. IT DID START LATER. I WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHICH REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. ON 4/21/2005, I GOT TO MY PARKED CAR TO FIND THAT IT WOULDN'T START FOR 10-15 MINUTES. THE SYMPTOMS WERE VERY SIMILAR TO THE MARCH 4 INCIDENT, WITHOUT THE STALLING OUT ON THE HIGHWAY TO PREFACE IT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT DEALER, WHERE THEY TESTED THE CAR BUT MADE NO REPAIRS. I WROTE HYUNDAI. A REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE CONTACTED ME AND ASKED THAT HYUNDAI HAVE AN ATTEMPT TO FULLY INVESTIGATE. I HAD AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALER I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM, AND THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE CONTACTED THEM TO COORDINATE EXAMINATION OF THE CAR. THE DEALER HAD ONE OF THEIR TOP ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS PEOPLE EXAMINE THE CAR IN CONSULTATION WITH THE REGIONAL OFFICE ON 5/7/2005. THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. ON 1/3/2006, THE CAR STALLED OUT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND WOULDN'T START IMMEDIATELY. A DEALER REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. ON 1/13/2006, THE CAR STALLED OUT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND WOULDN'T START IMMEDIATELY. A DEALER EXAMINED IT AND CONSULTED WITH HYUNDAI TECH LINE BUT DID NOTHING. I SENT HYUNDAI ANOTHER LETTER. THEY ASKED TO BE ABLE TO SEND A REGIONAL TECHNICIAN TO LOOK AT IT. A DEALER REPLACED THE POWER CONTROL MODULE AND CHECKED CONNECTIONS PER DIRECTIONS OF THE REGIONAL TECHNICIAN. HYUNDAI DEEMED THE CAR OKAY BECAUSE THE TECHNICIAN WENT FOR A 15 MILE TEST DRIVE; THE CAR HAS HAD THREE POTENTIALLY FATAL INCIDENTS IN 22,491 MILES. A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE REGIONAL OFFICE SAID THE THEY REPLACED THE POWER CONTROL MODULE BASED ON INCIDENTS IN OTHER CARS, WHERE THE ERROR CODE FOR THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR HAS COME UP. HE SAID THIS WAS A "PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE," THAT THE TECHNICIAN WASN'T ABLE TO VERIFY THE COMPONENT THAT FAILED, AND COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE POWER CONTROL MODULE WASN'T SUGGESTED EARLIER. *JB

HYUNDAI ELANTRA GLS 2004 (1) NO EVENTS LED UP TO FAILURES (2) BETWEEN 15000-20000 MILES IGNITION STOPPED WORKING - FIXED BY HYUNDAI AFTER WE SEVERELY NAGGED THEM FOR DAYS - CAR IS LESS THAN 18 MONTHS OLD HAS 32,000 MILES ON IT NOW CLUTCH DISK IS SUPPOSEDLY BURNED OUT- I HAVE NEVER HAD A CLUTCH BURN OUT ON ME OR ANYONE I KNOW MUCH LESS AT A MERE 32,000 MILES WANT TO CHARGE ME 300 TO SEE IF WARRANTY MIGHT COVER IT; HOWEVER IF IT DOESN'T THEY WILL CHARGE ME 800 OR SO TO FIX THIS PROBLEM CAR GRINDS WHEN TURNING- HYUNDAI WILL NOT CHECK IT OUT, SUPPOSEDLY WARRANTY ALSO DOES NOT COVER THIS. STEERING WHEEL IS COMPLETELY FALLING APART VANITY MIRROR COVER FELL OFF YES, ALL THIS HAPPENED WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. I AM NOW COMPLETELY AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR. THE GEARS DO NOT CATCH WELL AND ARE GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE REASON I BOUGHT THIS CAR WAS FOR ITS AMAZING WARRANTY. COME TO FIND OUT THE WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER ANYTHING AT ALL. HYUNDAI DID REPLACE MY VANITY MIRROR. NOW IF ONLY THE FREAKING CAR WORKED! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER HYUNDAI. *NM

(1) CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME WITHOUT WARNING. MAY GO FOR WEEKS, DAYS, OR MINUTES BEFORE RECURRING. (2)ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. MUST SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL TO RESTART. NOT EASY TO DO WHEN DOING 65 MPH ON RT 30, TO SUDDENLY HAVE NO POWER OR POWER STEERING AND A SEMI IS ON YOUR TAIL. IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 TIMES SINCE THE FIRST TIME IN WET, DRY, FAST SLOW, OR IDLE. (3) 1ST TIME WIGGLE WIRES. IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN IN THE SHOP. REPLACED FUSE BOX, WE REFUSE TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN DUE TO FEAR FOR OUR LIVES. SINCE THERE IS NO WARNING AND IT CAN BE WEEKS BETWEEN HAPPENINGS YOU CAN'T PREPARE FOR IT. *NM

DT: A WIRING BURNING SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. WHEN THIS HAPPENED EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL IN THE DASHBOARD TURNED OFF. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM FIRST STARTED ON JUNE 20, 2005. THE PROBLEM USUALLY HAPPENED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. LATELY, IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. *AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE SMELLED SMOKE COMING THROUGH THE VENTS WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. VEHICLE BRAKES WENT OUT. THE CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND HER AND THE PASSENGERS GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN SECONDS OF FLAMES. *TC