John and Joanne Donaldson’s 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport was below a security recall that included a warning to not park inside garages or close to buildings. But they are saying they by no means knew that. On Thursday, Nov. 10, as Hurricane Nicole was bearing down on the state, the Ocala couple’s house was burning, driving them, a home visitor and two tenants out into the road. It started round 8 p.m. that night time. “We heard a weird popping noise. We came outside the kitchen and could see flames shooting up to the ceiling in the garage,” John Donaldson stated. He added, “At that point, we just got out of the house as fast as we could.” The house and the rental unit subsequent to their storage at the moment are deemed uninhabitable and will must be torn down. Inside the storage was the melted Hyundai SUV, and subsequent to it, Donaldson’s 2000 Jaguar convertible. Total injury is estimated at greater than $100,000. The Hyundai is insured. The house and the convertible are usually not. “I think we were just thankful at that moment that it wasn’t a little bit later when we were asleep or earlier while we were driving, so feeling very protected by God, that God had watched over us in that moment,” Donaldson stated. The couple tells WESH 2 Investigates the Santa Fe’s brake warning gentle got here on earlier within the day, and it made unusual noises within the hours earlier than the fire broke out. Fire investigators with Ocala Fire and Rescue later wrote of their report, “the area of origin appears to be the Hyundai engine.” The automobile had already been inspected for a 2020 recall involving the anti-lock brake system posing a danger of fire. That inspection was carried out at a Hyundai dealership. The bill signifies the recall was addressed, and the automobile was returned to the Donaldsons on April 25, 2021. Just three days later, on April 28, 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted a brand new and related recall involving the “anti-lock brake system” and citing a “fire risk when parked.” That means homeowners had been suggested to “park outside and away from structures.” But the Donaldsons say they by no means acquired that discover from Hyundai. “Obviously had we known that, probably we would have gotten rid of the car but we certainly wouldn’t have parked it in the garage. (And) we’re mad. We didn’t know. I mean, how did we not know that?” Donaldson added. Safety specialists level to what they name a communication failure between the federal authorities and automakers. “It’s something that’s a serious issue,” stated Michael Brooks of the Center For Auto Safety, a shopper watchdog company. He says what occurred to the Donaldsons is an indication of a a lot larger downside: the federal government requiring automakers to inform individuals of security recollects solely by U.S. mail. It’s a 55-year-old rule, crafted lengthy earlier than the event of the web, computer systems with electronic mail, and mobile telephones that may deal with textual content message alerts. Brooks calls the “first-class mail” rule antiquated and flawed. “The problem really, in this case, is that the recall was really sitting there for a year, and these folks really didn’t find out about it to park their car outside and that points to the larger issue with communication,” Brooks said. But change could soon be coming. NHTSA is reviewing a proposed rule change that would “require notification by electronic means in addition to notification by first class mail.” In quick, shoppers may routinely be notified of security recollects by electronic mail, textual content or computerized cellphone calls. Exactly when that may occur is unclear. As for the Donaldsons, they’re changing the Hyundai SUV with an insurance coverage declare examine, whereas determining if they’ll afford to restore or exchange their burned house and property. WESH 2 Investigates reached out to Hyundai North America for an interview or some form of a response to our questions in regards to the Donaldsons’ fire, and their declare that they weren’t notified of a recall. We’ll replace our report after we hear again. Since 2015, practically 8 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles in mannequin years 2006-2022, have been recalled as a consequence of engine issues and fire danger.
John and Joanne Donaldson’s 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport was below a security recall that included a warning to not park inside garages or close to buildings. But they are saying they by no means knew that. On Thursday, Nov. 10, as Hurricane Nicole was bearing down on the state, the Ocala couple’s house was burning, driving them, a home visitor and two tenants out into the road.
It started round 8 p.m. that night time.
“We heard a weird popping noise. We came outside the kitchen and could see flames shooting up to the ceiling in the garage,” John Donaldson stated. He added, “At that point, we just got out of the house as fast as we could.”
The house and the rental unit subsequent to their storage at the moment are deemed uninhabitable and will must be torn down. Inside the storage was the melted Hyundai SUV, and subsequent to it, Donaldson’s 2000 Jaguar convertible. Total injury is estimated at greater than $100,000. The Hyundai is insured. The house and the convertible are usually not.
“I think we were just thankful at that moment that it wasn’t a little bit later when we were asleep or earlier while we were driving, so feeling very protected by God, that God had watched over us in that moment,” Donaldson stated.
The couple tells WESH 2 Investigates the Santa Fe’s brake warning gentle got here on earlier within the day, and it made unusual noises within the hours earlier than the fire broke out. Fire investigators with Ocala Fire and Rescue later wrote of their report, “the area of origin appears to be the Hyundai engine.” The automobile had already been inspected for a 2020 recall involving the anti-lock brake system posing a danger of fire. That inspection was carried out at a Hyundai dealership. The bill signifies the recall was addressed, and the automobile was returned to the Donaldsons on April 25, 2021.
Just three days later, on April 28, 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted a brand new and related recall involving the “anti-lock brake system” and citing a “fire risk when parked.” That means homeowners had been suggested to “park outside and away from structures.”
But the Donaldsons say they by no means acquired that discover from Hyundai.
“Obviously had we known that, probably we would have gotten rid of the car but we certainly wouldn’t have parked it in the garage. (And) we’re mad. We didn’t know. I mean, how did we not know that?” Donaldson added.
Safety specialists level to what they name a communication failure between the federal authorities and automakers.
“It’s something that’s a serious issue,” stated Michael Brooks of the Center For Auto Safety, a shopper watchdog company.
He says what occurred to the Donaldsons is an indication of a a lot larger downside: the federal government requiring automakers to inform individuals of security recollects solely by U.S. mail. It’s a 55-year-old rule, crafted lengthy earlier than the event of the web, computer systems with electronic mail, and mobile telephones that may deal with textual content message alerts. Brooks calls the “first-class mail” rule antiquated and flawed.
“The problem really, in this case, is that the recall was really sitting there for a year, and these folks really didn’t find out about it to park their car outside and that points to the larger issue with communication,” Brooks said.
But change could soon be coming. NHTSA is reviewing a proposed rule change that would “require notification by electronic means in addition to notification by first class mail.” In quick, shoppers may routinely be notified of security recollects by electronic mail, textual content or computerized cellphone calls.
Exactly when that may occur is unclear. As for the Donaldsons, they’re changing the Hyundai SUV with an insurance coverage declare examine, whereas determining if they’ll afford to restore or exchange their burned house and property.
WESH 2 Investigates reached out to Hyundai North America for an interview or some form of a response to our questions in regards to the Donaldsons’ fire, and their declare that they weren’t notified of a recall. We’ll replace our report after we hear again.
Since 2015, practically 8 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles in mannequin years 2006-2022, have been recalled as a consequence of engine issues and fire danger.
