NHTSA Complaint #10016560 — 1999 KIA SPORTAGE

I HAVE A 1999 KIA SPORTAGE. ON 23 APRIL, 2003 I ACCELERATED AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN AT AN INTERSECTION AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A "CLUNK" SOUND COMING FROM MY TRANSMISSION, MY VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION AND THE "HOLD" LIGHT AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE MOVING AGAIN AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND AFTER CHECKING THINGS OUT IN A LOCAL PARKING LOT AND NOT SEEING ANYTHING WRONG UNDER THE HOOD I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER TO GET FIXED. THE VEHICLE WAS PUT ON THE DIAGNOSTICS MACHINE AND IT SHOWED THE P0101 CODE. THE FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM IS AROUND $500 AND MY WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER THIS PROBLEM. KIA HAS A BULLETIN ON HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, SO THEY ARE AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS. I CALLED KIA ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH WAS VERY RUDE AND REFUSED TO LISTEN TO MY COMPLAINT AND TOLD ME IT'S MY PROBLEM, THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND THIS PROBLEM ISN'T A RECALL BECAUSE IT'S NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. I DON'T SEE HOW IT'S NOT A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN MY VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION! ALSO, $500 IS A LOT OF MONEY ESPECIALLY WHEN WARRANTY'S DON'T COVER IT. EVERYBODY FROM THE WARRANTY COMPANY AND THE DEALER HAVE ALL TOLD ME THAT THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN, THUS SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE FOLKS AT THE WARRANTY COMPANY SAID THAT ABOUT 95% OF THE PEOPLE THAT CALL IN WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE ARE CALLING IN ABOUT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *NLM