FOR A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, I THOUGHT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE. EVERYTIME I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD SWERVE A LITTLE; THEN THERE WOULD BE A "THUMP" AT THE REAR OF THE CAR. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NOISE AT THE REAR OF THE CAR, SO I LOOKED IN THE BACK STORAGE AREA THINKING SOMETHING WAS ROLLING AROUND-FOUND NOTHING. I CONTINUED DRIVING A FEW MILES, HEARING THE THUMPING NOISE AGAIN, I STOPPED AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE THINKING THE SPARE TIRE BRACKET WAS BROKEN--SAW NOTHING. LATER IN THE DAY, AS I TURNED RIGHT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AT THE REAR. I TOLD MYSELF TO DRIVE SLOWLY--AND THEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BROKE CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. FORTUNATELY FOR MYSELF, OTHER DRIVERS AND HYUNDAI I WAS DRIVING SLOW. THE CAR WAS FLATBEDDED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER, WHO TOLD ME THAT THE REAR TRAILERING ARM "SNAPPED" OFF DUE TO AN IMPACT. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND WANTED TO WAIT FOR THE COMPANY REP BEFORE DECIDING WHAT TO DO. THE REP INSISTED THAT RUST HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PART BREAKING AND THAT I NEEDED TO PAY 1100.00 FOR THE REPAIR (WHICH INCLUDED A NEW BRAKE LINE AND SHOCK DUE TO THE FAULTY PART) THE DEALERSHIP THEN DID NOT WANT TO GIVE ME THE PART BECAUSE IT WAS "TOO RUSTY" TO PUT IN THE CAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE 4TH VEHICLE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. I DO HAVE THE PART AND WILL BE GOING TO THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY THE COMPANY. *TR
2011
POWER TRAIN
I BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND MADE CONTACT WITH SOMETHING WHICH I COULD NOT SEE FROM MY REAR VIEW OR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS. LATER, WHEN THE EMERGENCY WORKERS WERE LOADING ME INTO THE AMBULANCE, I WOULD SEE THAT THE OBJECT WAS A LOW, CEMENT POLE, WHICH PROTECTED A FIRE HYDRANT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PARKING SPOT I PULLED OUT OF. AS I PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR (DRIVE) WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, TO PULL AWAY FROM WHATEVER I BACKED IN TO, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD (THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IS THE WAY A PINBALL BOUNCES OFF OF A BUMPER ON A PINBALL MACHINE) AND CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE DROVE FORWARD INTO THE PARKING SPOT I HAD STARTED FROM, OVER A CURB AT THE FRONT OF THE PARKING SPOT, THROUGH A PATCH OF LOW LYING PLANTS AND OVER A WALL WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE FEET IN HEIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS AIRBORNE AND CAME TO REST IN THE LOWER LEVEL PARKING LOT, STRIKING A PARKED VEHICLE. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED ITS FORWARD MOTION. MY ARMS HAD BEEN LOCKED ON THE STEERING WHEEL, MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY LEFT LEG ABSORBED THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH INTO THE LOWER LEVEL PARKING LOT. I WAS TAKEN AWAY IN AN AMBULANCE WITH A BROKEN LEG AND SEVERELY DISLOCATED ANKLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE CARRIER. I WAS ADVISED THAT A CLAIMS INVESTIGATOR WAS SENT TO THE INSURANCE-COMPANY-AUTHORIZED COLLISION SHOP TO WHERE MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED. EVEN THOUGH THE EMERGENCY WORKERS ADVISED ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT THAT THE CAR WAS NOT IN A DRIVABLE CONDITION, I WAS ADVISED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY THAT THE INVESTIGATOR DROVE THE VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE COLLISION SHOP AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR