2006 Hyundai Elantra

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING FACILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNAVAILABLE.

AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASH IS LIT ALL THE TIME. DEALER HAS RESET THE LIGHT ON TWO OCCASIONS, BUT IT KEEPS COMING BACK AFTER A FEW DRIVES IN THE CAR. DEALER SAYS THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR IS SHORTED OUT. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT WHILE THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS LIT, THE AIR BAGS ARE DISABLED AND WILL NOT DEPLOY, EVEN IF IN AN ACCIDENT. NOW I OWN A CAR THAT WILL NOT PROTECT ME IN A CRASH AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DEALER SAYS THE ONLY REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM COSTING OVER $1400. THE CAR IS NOT WORTH MUCH MORE THAN THAT, BUT IT IS WORTH ALOT TO ME BECAUSE I NEED IT FOR TRANSPORTATION.

AIR BAG LIGHT ON / EMMISIONS AIR BAG ALL SENORS WERE SWAPPED AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD THE CUSHION SHOULD BE REPLACED SINCE THE SENSOR SWAP DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. $1500 EMISSIONS/ PUMPING GAS FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. GAS PUMP KICKS OUT AFTER 2-3 SECONDS WHEN PUTTING IN GAS. NOW I'M TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE CHARCOAL CANISTER, CANISTER CLOSE VALVE, PURGE CONTROL VALVE, AND VENT VALVE. IF I DON'T I EVENTUALLY WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT GAS IN THE TANK. $1,100 THEY ARE BOTH SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES AND HYUNDAI NEEDS TO BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT. THESE ARE SIMPLE CONSUMABLE PIECES LIKE FLUIDS, VALUES, HOSES OR FILTERS.

2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. CALLED HYUNDAI (800.633.5151) SINCE THIS MODEL AND YEAR WAS UNDER HYUNDAI RECALL# 092 (HTSA 09V280000). PROVIDED VIN NUMBER AND REPRESENTATIVE (KAYLA) TOLD ME THAT THAT SPECIFIC VIN WAS NOT ELIGIBLE AND THAT I COULD SEND A POSTAGE LETTER TO A PO BOX FOR APPEAL. OBVIOUSLY I AM GOING TO TAKE THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC TO REPAIR TO AVOID ANY INJURY.

OUR CAR BLEW A HEAD GASKET AND NOW NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. IT IS, ESSENTIALLY, TOTALED. IT ONLY HAD 86,000 MILES ON IT AND WE HAD PLANNED ON DRIVING IT FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 10 YEARS. THE CAR HAD BEEN IN A PARKING GARAGE ALL DAY. IT WAS ONLY 80 DEGREES OUTSIDE. WITHIN 10 MILES OF DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN ANOTHER 5 MILES THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND BLEW A HEAD GASKET. THIS WAS NORMAL, FLAT, FREEWAY DRIVING. FORTUNATELY MY HUSBAND, WHO WAS DRIVING, HAD MADE HIS WAY TO THE RIGHT LANE WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS ABLE TO GET SAFELY OUT OF TRAFFIC. OUR CONCERN IS THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN TO OTHERS, AND MAY HAVE MORE SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS. I'M NOT AWARE OF A RECALL BEING OUT ON THIS, BUT PERHAPS THERE SHOULD BE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI ELANTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FISHTAILED UNCONTROLLABLY AND WAS PULLED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT ROAD SALT RUSTED THE SUBFRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ISSUED A CLAIM NUMBER, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

THE REAR CROSS MEMBER THAT SUPPORTS THE REAR WHEELS ON THE 2006 ELANTRA WE OWN IS COMPLETELY ROTTED THROUGH TO THE POINT THAT THE NUTSERTS HAVE FALLEN AWAY FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE RESULTING FREEPLAY IN THE REAR WHEELS CAUSED THE CAR TO FISHTAIL ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT. AFTER NO HELP FROM HYUNDAI REGIONAL MANAGER AND CORPORATE OFFICE, WE RESEARCHED THIS CONDITION ONLINE. SEEMS THAT 2000-2003 ELANTRAS AND SEVERAL YEARS OF THE SONATA MODELS HAVE THIS VERY SAME DEFECT. OUR YEAR AND MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN SEVERE FRAME ROT RECALLS, BUT IT SHOULD BE. BASED ON OUR RESEARCH, THESE PARTS RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND GENERALLY START ON THE RIGHT SIDE. OURS IS SO CRUMBLED, IT HAS ROTTED IN HALF. ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THIS CAR MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR EITHER A RECALL OR A BUYBACK. I'M QUOTING THIS FROM THE SITE: "CRITICAL VEHICLE COMPONENTS THAT BREAK, FALL APART OR SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, CAUSING POTENTIAL LOSS OD VEHICLE CONTROL OR INJURY TO PERSONS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE." MY WIFE WAS LUCKY SHE WASN'T GOING 65 ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. JUDGING BY THE EXISTING CLASS ACTION SUITS WE'VE SEEN ONLINE AGAINST HYUNDAI FOR THIS VERY SAME RUST PROBLEM IN OTHER MODEL YEARS, IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THEY ARE USING THE SAME REAR WHEELBASE SUPPORT DESIGN AND FLAWED STEEL COMPONENTS IN ALL THEIR MID-SIZED SEDANS.