NHTSA Complaint #10189875 — 2003 KIA SORENTO

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE STALLED AND ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SAFETY (JUST BY SHEER LUCK) AND CALLED KIA 1-800 FOR TOWING SERVICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. I WAS INITIALLY TOLD THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS MALFUNCTIONING. SUPPOSEDLY THE ANALYZER SHOWED THAT THERE WERE "MULTIPLE MISFIRES. I WAS ASKED IF THE CAR WAS MISSING PRIOR TO THE STALL. I TOLD THEM IT RAN AS SMOOTH AS SILK. I AUTHORIZED THEM TO REPLACE THE TIMING BELT DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT HAD BEEN REPLACED AS PART OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE TWO MONTHS EARLIER. THE DEALERSHIP THEN CALLED AND TOLD ME THEY HAD "GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS". THE TIMING BELT WAS REPAIRED BUT IT APPEARED THE HEAD WAS BLOWN AND THAT KIA REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE WAS CRACKED. THEY STATED THAT THE HEAD BLEW BECAUSE THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND WAS CAUSED BY MY NEGLIGENCE. THE GAUGES NEVER INDICATED THAT THE CAR OVERHEATED. THEY ARE UNABLE TO TELL ME HOW MUCH THE REPAIRS WILL COST BECAUSE THERE MAY BE FURTHER DAMAGE ONCE THEY TEAR IT DOWN. THE ESTIMATE IS BETWEEN $2500 AND "WORE CASE SCENARIO" $4700 I AM FURIOUS. THE CAR IS NOT YET FOUR YEARS OLD AND STILL HAS 36,000 MILES LEFT ON THE WARRANTY. *JB