2023 Hyundai Tucson

My client lost her right eye and suffered a brain injury when an aftermarket rhinestone emblem decal from her steering wheel shot into her face during a low-impact crash with a deer. The crash left minimal damage to the front end of the vehicle, but caused the airbags to deploy, shooting the decal into my client’s head. She purchased this dangerous decoration on Amazon, and despite NHTSA notices in 2023 and 2024 telling consumers to “avoid purchasing these steering wheel decals for all vehicle makes and models” and to “remove any such decals that they have already applied to their steering wheels,” this warning was not passed on to my client, even though records are kept of individual customer purchases, and these warnings could have been easily shared. A recent check of Amazon’s Safety Recalls and Alerts webpage did not turn up the 2024 NHTSA notice. I am sure there are other Amazon customers out there, who, like my client, have no idea just how dangerous these things are.

The vehicle developed an intermittent but potentially dangerous engine control malfunction. After the engine reached normal operating temperature, the engine speed (RPM) would repeatedly surge while the vehicle was stopped in Park and Neutral, fluctuating from approximately 1,000 RPM to over 3,000 RPM without any throttle input from the driver. The condition occurred with the air conditioning turned off and could be reproduced multiple times. At approximately the same time, the Auto Start/Stop system stopped functioning and displayed a warning indicator. A malfunction indicator lamp (check engine light) also appeared during the incident. The warning light later turned off, but the engine surging continued. This unexpected increase in engine speed raises concerns about unintended vehicle movement or loss of driver control if the condition were to occur while shifting into gear or while driving. The unpredictable nature of the malfunction presents a potential safety risk to the occupants of the vehicle and to others on the road. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Hyundai dealership for diagnosis and repair and remains under inspection. The problem is available for inspection. During my research, I found numerous reports from other Hyundai owners describing similar engine surging, idle fluctuation, and Auto Start/Stop malfunctions involving comparable vehicles. Because similar complaints appear to have been reported by multiple owners, I am submitting this report so the issue can be evaluated for a possible broader safety defect. I have videos of the incident

Horn on vehicle consistently goes out. Either goes out entirely or the volume of the horn is below a safe level. This is a known Hyundai issue and Hyundai refuses to acknowledge it on this specific model, but has acknowledged it on different models. I Have had multiple repairs by Hyundai directly, and the horn consistently keeps going out. There are sometimes in dangerous situations where I need to utilize the horn to avoid an accident and warn other drivers of danger, and I am unable to do so, and it causes dangerous driving situations. This is a known defect on multiple Hyundai vehicles in this year, but the Tucson is one of the few vehicles they will not call a voluntary recall on and NHTSA needs to be notified about this and act accordingly as a regulatory body to protect consumers and people on the road.

I was driving on the freeway no where near an overpass going about 65mph when the front panel on my panaromaic sunroof exploded and glass went everywhere. There is no signs that a rock could have possibly hit it. My safety was at risk because I could have crashed and broken glass rained down on me. There were no warning signs and the vehicle has not been inspected yet, but it will be.

The reverse beeping is just too loud for an Hybrid and many people online agree. I fully agree with having mandates for electric vehicles for safety concerns however they should not be so loud that they are louder or near as loud as a commercial truck and disturb residents. In fact Hyundai responded to the complaints by re-designing it for 2025 and newer facelifts but won't give any services to upgrade it to newer versions. I fully believe that Hyundai should and must offer services to use the new updated VESS.

Component that is unsafe: Moonroof Glass Taking in for inspection tomorrow. Safety risk: While driving on highway, Glass Spontaneously Popped and fully shattered. Glass fell down onto myself and into the car as I was driving. This put my driving at risk. Major distraction as well as potentially being a harm to my physical self. Problem reproduced? I know that there are other reports on moonroof glass on a Hyundai Tucson cars that have been shattered with the same predisposing factors. Hyundai has also been reported to not take accountability claiming that foreign objects were the cause. No this vehicle has not been inspected, but I will be taking it in on Sunday. There were zero warnings before this.

Dear Commissioner and DMV Officials: I am writing to formally address a serious financial and safety concern affecting vehicle owners in Connecticut. As a driver with over 50 years of experience—32 of those in CT—I have never experienced rodent damage to any vehicle until purchasing my 2023 Hyundai Tucson. Since acquiring this vehicle, I have suffered thousands of dollars in damage from rodents chewing through the wiring and wire housing. Multiple mechanics have confirmed this is due to manufacturers switching to soy-based and plant-derived biodegradable materials in wiring insulation. These materials are effectively edible, attracting rodents year-round—not just in cold months. This is not owner negligence. The root cause is a material deficiency in the vehicle's manufacturing. Consumers should not bear the financial burden of a known design choice made by the automaker. Repairs are costly, often excluded from warranties, and frequently not covered by insurance. I respectfully request the Department: Investigate the scope of rodent damage complaints linked to bio-based wiring in newer vehicles. Coordinate with NHTSA to evaluate whether this constitutes a safety defect warranting a recall. Advocate for regulatory standards requiring rodent-resistant wiring materials. Urge manufacturers like Hyundai to offer warranty coverage, reimbursement, or retrofits for affected vehicles. I am prepared to provide documentation of my repair expenses upon request. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Respectfully submitted, [XXX] cc: NHTSA, CT Attorney General, CT Consumer Protection, Hyundai Consumer Affairs INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

At dusk I was driving below the speed limit (40 MPH). I was at least 3 car lengths behind the vehicle in front of me when i saw the driver was braking because his brake lights came on and there was an intersection ahead with a stop light. There were at least two cars ahead of the vehicler I was behind. I braked but the car kept on going and appeared to accelerate. I was unable to stop the car with the brakes and collided with the car ahead. It was a sturdy vehicle with a strong bumper so I did not do much damage, if any, to the vehicle but my car requires $6,645.90 of repairs. No one was hurt and the air bags did not deploy. I was wearing my seat belt. There was no warning from ny vehicle that I was getting too close to the vehicle ahead and my car made no attempt to brake automatically. It was as though all warning indicators were not functioning. I have had two other incidents of the car surging ahead but did not report it because no one else was involved and I was able to correct the speed and I thought it was just my imagination.

Horn did not work. At about 67,000 miles on my vehicle my horn stopped working. I took it to the dealership to be replaced and paid for it. Then again at about 100,000 miles it stopped working. I took it back to the dealership and asked if there’s been any recalls they stated not at this time but there’s been a lot of people complaining about their horns and they told me to save my receipt receipts because I might be able to get reimbursed later. On two different occasions. I’ve been driving and had a car changing lanes into my lane and when I went to honk the horn to alert them, it didn’t work. Now I’m also concerned that I’ve got the same horn put on my vehicle for a third time and that I’m going to have to go back in and pay for a third one. I did reach out to Hyundai USA first and ask them to make this right but they stated they do not have an extended warranty for the 2023 vehicles even though they do have bills for 2020 through 2022. I can get copies of the receipts if they’re needed