These Are Your Auto Recall Horror Stories

Took our Kona in and for 4 recalls(3 inspections & upgrade the diagnostics). The day after we get it back it throws a check engine light. I put a code reader on the car and get P0326- knock sensor failure. Huh…I was advised this was a potential outcome, but the car is driving fine in Safe mode..so I drag my feet scheduling another appointment.

Eventually the dealer sits on it for nearly a week conferring with Hyundai tech support. This get a biy annoying as no loaner is available so I have to take 1.5 hrs off work every day to take my wife to work.

The direction from Hyundai is to redo the recall inspection. With no improvement/insight from that, they recommend we replace the knock sensor. They want >$600 to replace the knock sensor. Also, as the fault is assumed to be a non-recall, non-warranty(expired) covered part, we also have to pay $200 for the “diagnosis”.

We take the car to a local guy to save money on replacing the knock sensor on our out of warranty car. He calls me back and says, “the knock sensor was disconnected. Still wanna replace it?” Of course not. He plugs it in clears the code and we drive 600miles. No more Check Engine light.

I paid the dealer $200 dollars to figure this out.

Apparently, as part of the recall work, the knock sensor is disconnected from the ECU and a direct reading taken from it. It seems the tech forgot to hook it back up.

I understand how it could have happened the first time around, but I’m not sure how they missed this if they redid the recall.

From where I’m standing, it seems that the tech either for got to hook it up 2x, or didn’t perform the second inspection-the one i paid $200 for.

I only have my mechainc’s word that the sensor was disconnected, and I didn’t return the car immediately after the check engine light came back on, but I’m hoping that I can still persuade the dealer to refund me my diagnosis fee.