Hybrid owner concerned by engine failure

DEAR EDITOR:

I am writing this letter to help determine if our Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is a one-off faulty vehicle or if the issue we encountered is systemic with Hyundai Sonata Hybrids. I am concerned that there may be more Hyundai Sonata Hybrid owners out there that have had the engines in their vehicle fail, and because of the failure, have had their safety put at risk.

The safety issue is a major concern because on the late evening on Aug. 14, we were driving our 2011 Hyundai

Sonata Hybrid on the highway when suddenly the engine light came on and the vehicle was rendered inoperable.

We had to pull over immediately leaving us stranded along a busy two-lane highway.

It could have turned out far more serious. The vehicle was emergency towed back to Kelowna. Long story short, after a hefty pre-repair bill the Hyundai service technicians informed me that the gasoline engine on the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was seized and needed to be replaced, hugely increasing the total repair cost.

I was astounded as the vehicle only has 86,935 km and is a hybrid so quite a bit less miles on the actual gas motor itself. Hyundai Canada has had a multitude of engine recalls from 2011 onward, but as of yet, no engine recall on the Hybrid model. Hyundai owners should check out the link to Hyundai Canada’s recall page to see if your vehicle is affected or at Transport Canada web page

If you are a Hyundai Hybrid Sonata owner and have experienced a shutdown/stall situation or if you have experienced and engine failure which has put safety at risk, then you need to contact Transport Canada at: 1-866-995-9737 and report your experience. This will strengthen the ongoing safety and recall investigation.

Roberto Basso

Kelowna