2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 4 DR FWD

The contact owns a 2017 HYUNDAI Sonata Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started making a loud knocking sound. The contact pulled over and noticed an excessive amount of oil underneath the front of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that there was a hole in the engine block. The mechanic showed the contact a piece of metal that had fractured from the engine. The contact stated that three days later while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who confirmed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V727000 (Engine). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA PLUGIN HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, SHE HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HARRISONBURG FORD, INC. (3155 S MAIN ST, HARRISONBURG, VA 22801; (540) 434-0700), WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.*DT

I WAS DRIVING MY HYUNDAI 2017 SONATA PLUGIN HYBRID ON THE HIGH WAY IN HEV MODE AND SUDDENLY I FELT SEVERE VIBRATION IN MY CAR. THEN I CHANGED MY ENGINE TO EV MODE AND IT WAS FINE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. EVERY TIME THE GAS ENGINE CAME ON THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND NON RESPONSIVE TO GAS. I DROVE ABOUT 10 MORE KM TOWARDS HOME ON ELECTRIC ONLY ENGINE AND THEN GOT IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. IT FELT LIKE ENGINE LOST ITS POWER. I RECENTLY CHANGED THE VOLTAGE PROTECTION DEVICE ON THE CAR AS A RECALL. ALL SERVICES WERE DONE ON TIME AND CAR HAD ONLY 33000 KM.

THE SHARK FIN ANTENNA COVER CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I PARKED THE CAR, AFTER DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED THAT IT WAS GONE. THIS DEFINITELY CAN POSE A DRIVING HAZARD IF IT COMES OFF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I NOTICED THAT WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE BASE MOUNTS APPEARED TO BE CRACKED WHICH RESULTED IN THE FIN BREAKING FREE. THIS DEFINITELY APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IT'S APPROXIMATELY A $500 COST AT THE DEALER TO REPAIR. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AFTER TWO YEARS OF CAR OWNERSHIP. IT WILL GET VERY COSTLY TO REPLACE THIS AT THE DEALER EVERY TWO YEARS. BASED ON OTHERS' EXPERIENCES, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE.

WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED CLIMBING UP ON HILLY OR STEEPER GRADES THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON THE DASH AT NEARLY 100 PERCENT POWER ACCORDING TO THE HYBRID TACHOMETER. THIS INCREASE IN POWER SURPASSES WELL OVER THE SET CRUISE SPEED. FROM WHAT I HAVE NOTICED ITS 6-10 MPH CLIMBING PAST MY SET SPEED. THERE IS ALSO A LONG DELAY IN POWER RESTORATION AFTER COASTING DOWN HILLS. I FOUND IT TO BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WITH THE VEHICLE AT 100 PERCENT POWER BECAUSE IT COULD CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU COULD POSSIBLY REAREND ANOTHER DRIVER OR LOSE CONTROL IN NORMAL OR ADVERSE DRIVING CONDITIONS, RESULTING IN INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE. IN ADDITION THE ISSUE COULD LEAD TO A TRAFFIC INFRACTION. MY STATE HAS A LOT OF SPEED CAMERAS. THIS PROBLEM HAVE RESULTED FROM THE RECENT RECALL WHERE HYUNDAI INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS APROXIMENTLY 16400 MILES ON IT.

2017 HYUNDAI SONATA PLUG IN FEATURE FORWARD COLLISION WARNING ON FRONT STICKER SHOULD HAVE ALSO SAID IT ONLY WORKS ABOVE 25MPH AND IT DOES NOT ACTIVATE WARNING SOON ENOUGH SO I THINK ITS CRASH ZONE AND SHOUDL BE ADJUSTABLE AND TESTABLE IT IS NOT NTSB I HOPE CAN HELP MANUFACTURE A STANDARD TERMINOLOGY WHEN IT COME TO SALES AND RELEASE OF HYUNDAI LIABLE IN CASE FAILURE , YES I KNOW THEY WILL NOT COVER FAILURE UNDER MANY CONDITIONS, BUT THE SYSTEM I BROUGHT TO HYUNDAI 2X ONE IN JULY 2017 AND ONE IN MAR 2018 I WAS TOLD FRONTSIDE COLLISION WORK , THERE ARE NO ADJUSTMET FOR DISTANCE VS SPEED TECH JUST TAKE ME FOR RIDE ALMOST COLLIDE WITH THE CAR BEFORE THE COLLISION WARNING CAME ON IT SHOULD HAVE COME ON WITHIN 1-2 SECOND RULE, AND HYUNDAI HAS CHANGE THE SYSTEM FOR YEAR 2018 ,, I'M WORK WITH HYUNDAI TO GET PROPER LABEL , AND RETURN CAR FOR NTSB THE STICKER SHOULD BE MADE TO STATE TYPE OF SYSTEM AND HYUNDAI SHOULD ASK CONSUMER TO SIGN LIABLE RELAEASE THAT SYSTEM WONT ALWAYS WORK, HYUNDAI IS WORK WITH ME, SO THANKS, BUT NTSB SHOUD TEST FRONTSIDE COLLISION SYSTEMS RATE THEM TECHS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR INTO A CRASH ZONE TO TEST IT, AND I SHOULD BE TOLD SYSTEM NOT WORK<25MPH EVASIVE SALE BUT HYUNDAI WORK WITH ME FYI EXAMPLE OF GOOD SYSTEM IS MOBILEYE 630 FOR FRONTSIDE

14 MARCH 2018 10:30 AM, 70 MPH ON US 101 TO SAN FRANCISCO, HEV MODE, RAINY WEATHER, 4 PASSENGERS FOR A BUSINESS MEETING. CAR STEERING SHUDDERED AS IF THE TIRES SLIPPED AND SPUN ON THE WET PAVEMENT. ESC, BRAKE, AND AUTO HOLD LIGHTS TURNED YELLOW. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR NORMALLY TO REACH DESTINATION, PARKED, ATTENDED MEETING, AND STARTED DRIVING BACK HOME WITH MY PASSENGERS AT 3PM. ESC, BRAKE, AND AUTO HOLD LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. HEV MODE. 30 MINUTES LATER, I-280 AT 65+ MPH, ENGINE POWER DRASTICALLY REDUCED ABRUPTLY, CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND BECAME UNRESPONSIVE TO THE GAS. TURNED ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY IN THE EVENING RUSH HOUR COMMUTE TRAFFIC, MANAGED TO SHIFT RIGHT THREE LANES AND TAKE THE NEXT EXIT, WENT INTO A PARKING LOT AND STOPPED THE CAR. CONSULTED MANUAL FOR ANY MEANINGFUL ACTIONS. STARTED CAR BACK UP. MIL LIGHT ALSO CAME ON ALONG WITH MESSAGE TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER. RAN VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS AND GOT 'A POSSIBLE CONDITION WITH THE ECS HAS BEEN DETECTED AND A FULL SYSTEM CHECK IS RECOMMENDED SOON'. STARTED DRIVING CAR AGAIN. SAME LACK OF ENGINE POWER. DROVE THROUGH LOCAL ROADS AND COUNTLESS MANY TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND REACHED HOME AFTER 4 HOURS (NORMAL = 1 1/2 HOURS). AT HOME, PLUGGED CAR IN FOR CHARGING. CHARGING STARTED NORMALLY. AROUND 10PM, WANTED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF ALL THE LIGHTS, SO PULLED CHARGING CABLE OUT AND STARTED CAR. ALL LIGHTS WERE OFF EXCEPT MIL! DECIDED TO TEST DRIVE AND FOUND NO LOSS OF POWER. TOOK IT TO NEARBY FREEWAY, FLOORED GAS PEDAL. CAR RESPONDED WITH FULL POWER! NEXT DAY MORNING, DRIVING CAR TO DEALER, HEV LIGHT AND CONTINUOUS WARNING BEEP CAME ON, JUST A MILE AWAY FROM HOME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND ABOVE, THE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ALMOST CRASH INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS TOO SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6.

ON 3/15/2017 AROUND 8AM, I STARTED MY CAR TO LEAVE FOR WORK AND THE CAR SHOWED A WARNING "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" AND THE CORRESPONDING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE GASOLINE ENGINE ALSO STARTED RIGHT AWAY AND STAYED ON, EVEN THOUGH THE EV BATTERY WAS FULL. THE ENGINE REMAINED ON THROUGHOUT MY COMMUTE TO WORK AND BACK TO HOME IN THE EVENING. I PLUGGED THE CAR IN MY GARAGE FOR CHARGING OVERNIGHT WITH THE TIMER SET TO START THE CHARGING AT 10PM. AROUND 10:45PM, MY WIFE AND I OPENED THE INTERNAL GARAGE DOOR FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE AND IMMEDIATELY SMELLED EXHAUST FUMES AND HEARD THE ENGINE RUNNING. I OPENED THE GARAGE OVERHEAD DOOR RIGHT AWAY AND UNPLUGGED THE CHARGING CABLE WHICH TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. JUST TO BE SURE, I PLUGGED THE CABLE IN AGAIN AND TURNED OFF THE TIMER TO RESTART THE CHARGING IMMEDIATELY. AS SOON AS THE CHARGING STARTED, THE ENGINE CAME ON AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS STARTED REVVING UP ALSO. I IMMEDIATELY UNPLUGGED THE CHARGING CABLE AND ENGINE STOPPED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TODAY AND AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE DEALER. I THINK THIS IS A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND HENCE I AM REPORTING IT.