accident because of car failure

[mohd_w50]

hi
last week I had an accident because suddenly the steering wheel stopped responding and also the break was not responding either. The dealership claim that they found no problem and caanot include the damages on the warrenty. I was driving relatively slowly (around 25 mph) and luckly I only hit the sidewalk barrier. the right front wheel went off clearly indicating something wrong was there before the accident

I bought this 2011 v6 new from the dealership and have had all scheduled check-ups with them. I have done less than 60k mile on the car. Total damages estimated to be USD 14.4k.

I feel extreamly bad and angry and I am not sure how to escalate this issue. does anyone have any idea or contact details for the right people in the mother company ?

 

[Mark_888]

Was the steering wheel locked, was it very hard to turn (loss of power steering), or did the wheels not turn when you easily turned the steering wheel?

You may want to get an independent mechanic to look at it. I assume this is covered by your insurance? You are unlikely to get any relief from Hyundai Motor America if the dealer says there is nothing wrong with car unless you can get another mechanic to contradict the dealer. If it had been the brakes only (known problem) that would be one thing, but loss of steering is something I have not heard previously on the Genesis sedan.

 

[mohd_w50]

hi, I was able to steer, but the car was just going straight.

adding salt to my cut, the insurance said they will report the car as total loss because the repair cost will most likely exceed 30% of the current fair market value which they are yet to determine !!

I want to contact someone in Korea ......

 

[PMCErnie]

What does the official police report of your accident say?

What were the results of your private mechanic's inspection (not your dealer's inspection) of your car after the accident?

Can you prove that you were not under the influence, or did not suffer from a stroke, or other malady, or inattention?

You probably need a good lawyer, not Korea. Good luck!

 

[mohd_w50]

hi

the official report doesnt say anything other than I have hit the sidewalk although I have said the story in full

I didnt take it yet to an outside mechanic, not sure which one will actually be able to investigate

I can prove that if it reached to that stage !

are you saying I will only have to deal with the dealer and cannot escalate the matter ?

 

[homeofstone]

Let your insurance company handle it. That's what you pay them for.

 

[wd40]

hi, I was able to steer, but the car was just going straight.

adding salt to my cut, the insurance said they will report the car as total loss because the repair cost will most likely exceed 30% of the current fair market value which they are yet to determine !!

I want to contact someone in Korea ......

The 30% value will not total the car and the insurance company can not issue a salvaged title. If the vehicle were totaled (more than 65% ACV) they would write you a check and take possession of the vehicle and sell it at a salvage auction. There are instances where some people will argue to have a vehicle repaired and keep the vehicle, but in this circumstance they can't justify reporting a total loss at 30%. With damage history I am afraid you will suffer diminished value.

 

[brfatal]

If a shop doesn't find something wrong then you are SOL and at fault according to all other parties.

My 1st WRX was totaled almost exactly 10 years ago today from something similar. On dry pavement at normal speeds I turned the wheel to change lanes but turning the steering wheel didn't straighten out the car and it kept turning until I hit the barrier. I had some steering work done the day before (literally drove home and the next day the wreck happened the 1st time I drove it out) and the shop I took it to couldn't find anything that would have caused what I said happened and I was faulted for it by both the police (who issued me a ticket) and insurance.

 

[Philth]

Your brakes failed too???

 

[ComputerBudda]

hi, I was able to steer, but the car was just going straight.

adding salt to my cut, the insurance said they will report the car as total loss because the repair cost will most likely exceed 30% of the current fair market value which they are yet to determine !!

I want to contact someone in Korea ......

NHTSA is one outfit you need to deal with. I would also contact the Hyundai zone office or Hyundai American HQ. Are the brakes and steering on the V6 fly by wire? I think at some point the V8 got fly by wire for steering but not for brakes. I know that is the coming design feature and it will make the Toyota acceleration issues look like small change.

If none if it is fly by wire and you did not lose engine power, I frankly don't see how it could happen. I did have power steering pulley break off once which caused all the power accessories to "fail" (being belt driven and all) but I could still steer.

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[Gen 4.6]

I know they have a recall on the brake fluid..not sure if that has anything to do with your car though.

 

[Philth]

It's not just the brake fluid. The hydraulic control units are failing as a result of the old, DOT 3 fluid. Quite a few cases of cars losing brakes because of this.

 

[Mark_888]

are you saying I will only have to deal with the dealer and cannot escalate the matter ?

You bought the car from a authorized Hyundai dealer (not Hyundai). The dealer bought it from the distributor/importer which is Hyundai Motor America (who reimburses the dealer for warranty claims). You can contact either of these two about your concerns/complaints.

There is no way you can deal with anyone in Korea, nor should you want to.

 

[Mark_888]

I know they have a recall on the brake fluid..not sure if that has anything to do with your car though.

That's possible, but he says he lost steering and brakes at the same time, so the failure of both those systems at the same time seems to be a very big coincidence, unless there is something in common with both (and probably unrelated to the known HECU brake system failure).

However, sometimes people think the steering failed, but the wheels actually turned with the steering wheel turn, but the car continued straight due to skidding. This is quite common on snow/ice. So maybe only the brakes failed, and in that case I would contact the NHTSA website immediately and file a complaint. Of course, any road conditions which were so slippery as to cause the car to ignore turning of the front tires could have also caused inability of the car to stop, independent of HECU brake system failure.

 

[PMCErnie]

Sounds to me like a wheel just fell off, causing the other perceptions about lack of steering and braking.