2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

While attempting a slow right turn from a complete stop at an intersection, I heard a loud thunk sound followed by an immediate loss of power steering response. The steering wheel spun freely with little resistance while the front tires did not respond proportionally. I was able to safely pull over. Upon restarting the vehicle it produced an abnormal wheezing sound suggesting additional mechanical stress. At the time of the failure the vehicle had approximately 40,000 miles, which I believe represents a premature failure for a safety-critical steering component. The vehicle was brought to a Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealer pulled diagnostic fault codes, found none, performed a 20-minute test drive, and returned the vehicle stating they could not find anything wrong. No physical inspection of the steering components was performed. The failure condition — a slow full-lock turn from a complete stop — was never specifically replicated during the dealer's test drive. The problem has not been confirmed or repaired by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety and the safety of other drivers was put at risk by the sudden and unexpected loss of steering control. No warning lights appeared prior to or during the failure.

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. The contact stated that while idle, releasing the brake and pressing the accelerator, the vehicle would jolt forward before accelerating. The failure would occur intermittently and had become progressively more pronounced. There were no warning lights illuminated. During the most recent occasion, the vehicle jolted forward so aggressively that it caused the contact to have whiplash. The contact had to refrain from work due to the whiplash symptoms sustained, such as neck pain and nausea. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice, and the dealer was not able to diagnose the cause of the failure. The dealer was able to experience the failure described when inspecting the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed the vehicle was not covered under warranty or recall. The manufacturer filed a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.