On XXX, after leaving an appointment at an office building, I returned to my vehicle and noticed that the driver’s seat recline function was not working properly. The seat was already pushed forward to its highest position and would not recline further. I was still able to enter and operate the vehicle somewhat but remained parked. I reviewed Hyundai resources to see whether there was an update or known issue related to the seat concern. When I could not resolve the issue through available resources, I contacted the Hyundai dealership in Henderson. I provided my information and explained that the driver’s seat recline function was not working. I was transferred to Hyundai Customer Service. During that call, I explained that I was approximately 15 minutes away from the dealership and requested repair of the issue regardless of warranty status because I considered it a safety concern. This never happened before at all. While I was speaking with the Hyundai Customer Service representative, the driver’s seat moved again unexpectedly. As a result, I moved forward toward the steering wheel area. After that movement, the vehicle rolled or moved forward and contacted the rear of another vehicle. After the collision, the driver’s seat recline function still was not operating properly. I documented the condition with video evidence, and two witnesses observed the vehicle and the seat condition after the collision. When I contacted Hyundai, I was very upset to learn that the call I had with the customer service representative was not documented anywhere. Also, no one contacted me although I was in distress, crying, and in the accident and the customer service representative knew this. There was no aid or phone call follow ups to me by Hyundai customer care at all. Hyundai Motor America opened a case investigation and instructed me not to perform repairs at this time so the vehicle could be preserved for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI 11749211