The Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) has added “three sets of case submissions” to its petition for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct defect investigations into oil drain pan assemblies from Hyundai/Kia, according to a press release.

With these new case submissions–one from July 2022, one from January 2023, and one from March 2023–a total of 137 complaints from consumers that were related to the oil drain pans have been voiced to the “NHTSA, consumer forums online, and aftermarket automotive maintenance experts.”

Cases submitted have covered a large variety of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The AOCA has identified what is likely “the two most common” parts based on complaints lodged: Part 21510-2G500 and part 21510-2E023.

The AOCA launched the petition for a defect investigation after “unprecedented reports of inexplicable mid-interval plug-out allegations exclusively from Hyundai/Kia vehicle customers” that detailed oil drain pans malfunctioning, typically thousands of miles after the previous vehicle service and without any leaks or indicator lights to alert drivers. 

The pans seem to be malfunctioning from two causes: double-gasketing as a result of a “factory gasket fused to either the plug or pan,” and/or “flimsy pan material” that can give way under pressure–such as pressure that has resulted from “Hyundai/Kia’s pervasive engine defects.”