What 8 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Hyundai Equus

I am writing to log an immediate emergency update to my vehicle safety report regarding my 2012 Hyundai Equus Signature 5.0L. On Friday afternoon, July 10, 2026, Hyundai Motor America’s corporate office formally initiated a high-level Tier-2 supervisor review to investigate the severe powertrain safety hazard currently present on my vehicle—specifically, a catastrophic internal rupture of the transmission fluid cooler loop that has cross-contaminated and flooded my engine block infrastructure and main radiator with high-velocity metallic shrapnel. However, today, Saturday, July 11, 2026, the servicing franchise dealership, Patrick Hyundai, issued an immediate verbal denial of all goodwill repair or safety inspection coverage. This premature weekend denial represents a blatant, bad-faith attempt by a localized franchise to circumvent an active manufacturer safety audit. By issuing a verbal denial while corporate offices are closed, the dealership is attempting to apply high pressure to force me to immediately tow this severely compromised, non-driveable vehicle off their property. This action is designed solely to force the removal and destruction of critical, un-tampered physical fluid evidence before a qualified Federal Safety Engineer or a Hyundai Field Product Engineer can mandate a teardown or structural inspection. The manufacturer's franchise is actively evading its product liability and safety screening protocols for an integrated, multi-system thermal failure. I am requesting that federal safety auditors expedite an intervention, freeze any attempt to eject the vehicle from the facility, and order a formal manufacturer field safety audit. Case number 11749120

NHTSA ODI 11749721

I am reporting a severe vehicle safety hazard involving a sudden loss of motive power and extreme thermal failure on my 2012 Hyundai Equus Signature 5.0L. In July 2022, at 88,845 miles, an authorized Hyundai dealership replaced the transmission under a factory warranty event. Rather than replacing the transmission oil cooler assembly—which was contaminated with heavy metal shrapnel from the original mechanical breakdown—the servicing dealer chose to only flush the lines, creating a latent fluid restriction. After approximately 18,000 miles of operation, this restriction completely choked the transmission fluid pressure loop. The extreme thermal stress and back-pressure caused the internal walls of the transmission cooler to suffer a catastrophic structural rupture. This caused the transmission to suddenly overheat and fail while driving, creating an immediate highway safety risk and a total loss of vehicle control. Furthermore, the internal rupture of the cooler walls has caused direct fluid cross-contamination ('SMOD'), forcing transmission fluid and metallic shrapnel directly into the engine's main radiator and cooling passages. This metal shrapnel is currently circulating through the engine's cooling network, creating a severe secondary hazard of catastrophic engine seizure and thermal runaway while traveling at highway speeds. The manufacturer has been notified but has formally refused in writing to dispatch a field engineer or authorize a safety inspection of this cross-contaminated powertrain network.

NHTSA ODI 11749120

I was driving on the highway and my transmission due to a failed transmission service done to my vehicle caused my vehicle’s transmission to overheat a blowout my transmission cooler and mix coolant and transmission fluid unknown to me because of a clogged transmission cooler line improperly flushed instead of replaced by the Patrick Hyundai dealership there could’ve been and electrical fire or a crash due to these things.

NHTSA ODI 11748611

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI EQUUS. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE JOLTED CONTINUOUSLY AND SHIFTED INDEPENDENTLY INTO ANOTHER GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

NHTSA ODI 10692893