What 24 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Hyundai Equus

THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I DO NOT HAVE MUCH BRAKING AND I HAVE CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS (FRONT/REAR) AND BLED THE BRAKES AND IT DID NOT HELP. I HAVE READ THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (HECU) AND THE PART IS COVERED UNDER RECALL FOR THE 2011 HYUNDAI GENESIS (RECALL 13V489000). SINCE IT IS THE SAME PART THAT IS USED ON THE 2011 GENESIS, DOES THE RECALL COVER THE EQUUS WHICH IS THE SAME CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11317194

CAR BRAKES FAILED TO SLOW CAR IN EMERGENCY TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY, BRAKES WERE WORKING FINE THEN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOD AND ALMOST HIT THE CAR AHEAD. REAR BRAKES WERE NEW, REPLACED FRONT PADS, BUT BRAKE PEDAL STILL GOES TO THE FLOOR. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR GENESIS HCU , WHICH HAS THE SAME PART AS THIS CAR, THE COST OF REPAIR IS $3000. THE CAR HAS 39000 MILES , I BELIEVE THE CAR HAS A DEFECTIVE HCU, SIMILAR TO THE SISTER CAR THE GENISIS WHICH WAS RECALLED. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE, THE REPAIR COST IS ENORMOUS AND FORCES PEOPLE TO KEEP DRIVING WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES. DRIVING WITHOUT NEEDING TO STOP SUDDENLY THE CAR WORKS FINE. ONLY WHEN TRAFFIC STOPS SUDDENLY DO YOU NOTICE THE NEED TO PUT THE FOOT TO THE FLOOR , AND IT TAKES 100 EXTRA FEET TO STOP. THIS IS AFTER REPLACING ALL PADS AND HAVING THE SYSTEM CHECKED. AT THE BRAKE SHOP. I DRIVE LESS THAN 500 MILES A MONTH AND HAVE HAD 2 NEAR ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA ODI 11180224

THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL IS VERY LONG. I MUST BEGIN THE STOPPING PROCESS MUCH EARLIER THAN PREVIOUS. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED A FAILED HECU. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY A FEW MILES AND ONE MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY. HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA HAD AN INSPECTION CAMPAIGN FOR GENESIS HECU UNITS, BUT NOT EQUUS. HOW CAN THE HECU BE PROPERLY INSPECTED WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING THE UNIT? HYUNDAI SHOULD REPLACE THE FAILED HECU.

NHTSA ODI 10920266

WHEN APPLYING CAR BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES LIGHTS WILL NOT ILLUMINATE. IF I TURN ON CAR HEAD LIGHTS THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. BUT IF THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE OFF THEY DON'T WORK.

NHTSA ODI 10894091

I WAS DRIVING THE HARD AND I HAD TO COME TO A STOP ON THE HIGHWAY. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY BRAKES TURNED SPONGY AND I SWERVED TO MISS A CAR. I HAVE HAD THE MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED THINKING THAT WAS THE ISSUE BUT IT WAS STILL SPONGY. I THEN NOTICED THE RECALL ON THE GENESIS AND I CONTACTED HYUNDAI. I ASKED DID THE RECALL AFFECT THE EQUSS SEEING HOW THEY ARE THE SAME PART NUMBERS. THEY TOLD ME NO AND IT DIDN'T FALL UNDER THE WARRANTY EITHER. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AROUND $2800 TO HAVE IT FIXED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE SAME PART GOES BAD ON 2 DIFFERENT CARS BUT THE RECALL ISN'T FOR THE EQUUS IN THE SAME YEARS AS THE RECALL ON THE GENESIS.

NHTSA ODI 10881849

DRIVER BEHIND ME ALERTED THAT MY BRAKES WORKED BUT MY BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. HE INDICATED THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE NATION'S HIGHWAYS. DEALER REPLACED BRAKE HARNESS DIODE Z06. AGAIN ON 20MAY2014, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME, DEALER REPLACED DIODE Z01. THERE WAS NO AUDIBLE OR VISUAL WARNING ON THE DASH ALTHOUGH VEHICLE PERFORMS A "SYSTEM CHECK" AT STARTUP AND WARNS OF MINOR ALERTS LIKE LOW TIRE PRESSURE. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS I AM A RETIRED PERSON AND I MUST DEPEND ON THE SAFETY FEATURES OF MY CAR. TWO LETTERS TO HYUNDAI HQ HAVE NOT PRODUCED RESULTS. INTERNET SEARCHES REVEAL THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED WITH HYUNDAI FOR MANY YEARS. A PERMANENT FIX IN THE FORM OF A RECALL IS REQUIRED. OR, REFUND THE PURCHASE PRICE SO THAT OWNERS CAN BUY A SAFE CAR. ... UPDATED 10/27/14 *BF UPDATED 11/13/14 *BF UPDATED 7/28/2015 *JS *TR

NHTSA ODI 10616518