U.S. to Investigate Acceleration Control Defects in Hyundai and Kia Vehicles

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)

South Korean automotive manufacturers Kia and Hyundai

NHTSA petitioned for federal investigation of six million vehicles for dangerous runaway throttle problems -- 1,167 public complaints for speed control issues.

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, November 18, 2021 /EINPresswire.com / -- A respected automotive safety expert and a public interest attorney filed a petition for safety defect investigation with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to extensive research conducted by Thomas J. Murray & Associates (TJMA), of Huron, Ohio, South Korean manufacturers Kia and Hyundai are currently under a Consent Order with the U.S. Department of Transportation due to numerous defects and they must now provide documentation for information requests from federal regulators.

The Thomas J. Murray & Associates petitioners request that the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) open a comprehensive safety defect investigation to assess the scope, frequency, root causes, and potential safety-related consequences of the alleged dangerous defects leading to sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA) and/or stalling at speed/loss of motive power on model years 2005-2016 Kia and Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. Engine system issues, including SUA problems, have been investigated in the U.S., South Korea and Singapore. [ ]

The Thomas J. Murray & Associates petitioners have decades of relevant automotive products liability experience. Auto safety expert Byron Bloch has testified before Congress and NHTSA about auto safety defects. Ohio attorney Tom Murray has litigated SUA cases against Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Toyota and other manufacturers. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced criminal charges against Toyota and a $1.2 billion financial penalty as Toyota admitted to misleading consumers and U.S. regulators about safety issues related to unintended acceleration in its cars. [ ]

Thomas J. Murray & Associates cite 1,167 public VOQ consumer complaints to NHTSA pertaining to vehicle speed control problems with this population of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in the United States. Petitioners alleged throttle control system defects produce sudden uncommanded acceleration (SUA), runaway throttle conditions, surging, stalling and loss of motive power. TJMA have also personally reviewed thousands of relevant confidential internal documents of Kia, Hyundai and their component suppliers. At least eight fatalities and numerous serious injuries are directly attributed to these electronic throttle control defects.

Defect petition DP21-003 also requests that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and NHTSA Administrator hold a public meeting, hearing or proceeding to allow parties to submit evidence and testify as to the reasons to grant the petition and for the federal government to conduct a formal investigation. Consumers who experience safety problems can submit complaints online directly to NHTSA. [ ]

In November 2020, in response to a defect petition filed by the Center for Auto Safety, NHTSA fined Kia and Hyundai $210 million, and the South Korean manufacturers are currently bound by a Consent Order [ ] with NHTSA due to violations related to engine problems and non-crash fires. NHTSA recently granted a $24 million award to the former Hyundai employee whistleblower on November 9, 2021. [ ]

NHTSA Defect Petition DP21-003 Summary:
(Full copy of Defect Petition DP21-003 attached as PDF)
NHTSA Consent Order (Hyundai/Kia):
NHTSA Whistleblower (Hyundai):
What to Do if you experience SUA:
Report a Safety Problem to NHTSA:
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 888-327-4236, Monday-Friday 8am-8pm ET

PRESS CONTACT:
Jim Murray
Thomas J. Murray & Associates LLC
358 N. Main Street, Huron, Ohio 44839
Office: (419) 616-0099
Cell: (415) 640-0027
Email:

Source: Thomas J. Murray & Associates LLC

Jim Murray
Thomas J. Murray and Associates
+1 415-640-0027
email us here

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