2008 Hyundai Entourage

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI ENTOURAGE. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE AND THE STEERING ABILITY FAILED. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT CONTROL ARM FRACTURED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FRONT LOWER DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FRONT LOWER PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V556000 (SUSPENSION). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,610.

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WEIGHT SENSOR MALFUNCTION. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT/ACCIDENT. AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON, REGULAR GARAGES COULDN'T DIAGNOSE PROBLEM, ONLY A HYUNDAI DEALER CAN READ THE CODE; ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WEIGHT SENSOR WAS NOT WORKING, APPARENTLY THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT ASSEMBLY, CANNOT REPLACE JUST THE SENSOR.

SIDE SLIDER DOORS NO LONGER OPEN MANUALLY USING INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL HANDLES. REGARDLESS OF CENTER PILLAR "POWER SWITCH" SETTING ABOVE THE MIRROR - THE ONLY WAY THEY OPEN IS USING THE KEY FOB OR THE "OPEN/CLOSE" SWITCH ALSO ABOVE THE MIRROR. THIS IS A VERY CONCERNING HUMAN SAFETY ISSUE. IN AN ACCIDENT SITUATION - SOMEONE MAY NOT ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. TSB-09-BE-024 MAY BE RELATED.

OUR VEHICLE HAS BEEN FOR REPAIRS TO COLUMBIA HYUNDAI IN MONTGOMERY, OHIO FOUR TIMES IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. THE MAIN CULPRIT THAT HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THESE SERVICE REPAIRS HAS BEEN THE CAM PHASERS. THIS TIME, MOST RECENTLY, 16 MAR 2016, I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE CAM PHASERS WERE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT ONCE AGAIN. THIS ALSO REQUIRED THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER TO BE REPLACED WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE CONTINUED ISSUES WITH THE CAM PHASERS ONGOING ISSUES. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE OIL CONTROL VALVE NEEDS REPLACED. THIS IS SIGNIFICANCE BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER HAS KNOWN OF THIS ISSUE SINCE IT PUT OUT A TECHNICAL BULLETIN IN MAY 2009. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS IS NEARLY $1,300 INCLUDING HYUNDAI REFUSING TO COVER THE CAM PHASERS, DESPITE THIS BEING LESS THAN ONE YEAR FROM THE LAST DATE OF REPLACEMENT BY COLUMBIA HYUNDAI. TODAY, I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE HOME DESPITE BREAKING DOWN WITHOUT EVEN HAVING LEFT THE DEALERSHIP LOT. THE VAN BROKE DOWN SEVERAL MORE TIMES ON THE WAY HOME AND WITHIN LESS THAN A MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I FORCED THE VAN TO DRIVE DESPITE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHING AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DESPITE THE HARD ROUGH IDLING AND TREMENDOUS LOSS OF POWER THAT NEARLY RESULTED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION BETWEEN MYSELF AND ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A NEARBY INTERSECTION. THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH AND DESPITE HYUNDAI'S EFFORTS TO ASSIST US BY COVERING THE REPAIRS THE FIRST TIME, REFUNDING ME THE AMOUNT THAT I WAS CHARGED THE SECOND TIME DUE TO FIGHTING OVER THE TIMING OF THE INCIDENT. THE THIRD TIME THIS HAPPENED THE DEALERSHIP COVERED THE COST, BUT TOOK SO LONG FOR THE REPAIRS AND IT STILL RESULTED IN THE CAM PHASERS BEING DIAGNOSED A FOURTH TIME AS NEEDING REPLACEMENT. THIS TIME HYUNDAI REFUSED TO DO ANY SERVICES AND WANTED TO CHARGE NEARLY $1,300 FOR THE TOTAL REPAIR COSTS!

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