Hyundai Tucson owner traumatized after SUV randomly slams on brakes

Hyundai has twice fixed the problem.

After her new Tucson decided to randomly slam on the brakes, a Canadian woman has asked Hyundai to refund her. Four instances have occurred where the vehicle incorrectly detected an imminent collision and activated the forward-collision warning device before engaging the brakes. According to a CTV News Toronto report, the system is supposed to prevent or reduce the impact of a crash. However, Erica Mesa’s case shows that this is not the case.

Three months after purchasing the SUV, Mesa was driving along the highway with four other people. Mesa said that she drove the car the rest of the week until the incident occurred. The dealer informed her that there was a temporary blockage to the sensor and that the accident wouldn’t happen again. It did. It happened again two months later.

Hyundai Tucson owner traumatized after SUV randomly slams on brakes

Mesa had her Tucson tow to a Hyundai dealer where technicians replaced the inhibitor switch. They explained that moisture had penetrated the switch and was tricking the car into thinking it was about to hit another vehicle. It didn’t happen for more than one year, until February 2021 when it did. She was driving at 120 km/h (74 miles per an hour) on the highway. Just before the vehicle hit its brakes for the fourth consecutive time, the collision warning light was displayed.

She returned it to another Hyundai dealership where the inhibitor switch was replaced a second time. CTV News Toronto was told by a spokesperson for Hyundai Canada that technicians replaced the damaged inhibitor switch in February. A field engineer was also present during the extensive road test. According to the spokesperson, there are no records of any additional issues following repair.

Masa is still uncomfortable driving the SUV. Masa is still uncomfortable driving the SUV. She has asked for a refund. However, Hyundai Canada won’t allow her to exchange it in for CA$21,000 ($16.609 USD at current exchange rate). This is far less than the CA$47,000 ($37.173 USD) she paid for the Tucson.