NHTSA Complaint #10356310 — 2005 KIA RIO

KIA PLACED A BULLETIN WITH YOU ON 1/1/05,#TSB82,#10015272. APPARENTLY KIA THOUGHT THAT WAS ENOUGH. MY KIA WAS PURCHASED 7/21/05. I WAS TOLD I HAD "BUMPER TO BUMPER COVERAGE IF I PURCHASED THE ADDITIONAL 4,000. EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY WERE REQUIRED TO FURNISH ME WITH A COMPLETE WARRANTY DISCLOSURE BEFORE PURCHASE. THEY DID FURNISH ME WITH A BOOKLET CALLED WARRANTY AND CONSUMER INFORMATION MANUAL AND A PAMPHLET CALLED START UP TIPS FOR YOUR KIA. I DID READ THESE. AND THE TIMING BELT ISN'T MENTIONED. LATER WHEN I READ MY OWNERS MANUAL I DID NOTICE THAT THE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS DID MENTION THE TIMING BELT, IT SHOULD BE CHECKED AT 30,000 MI, 60,000MI AND POSSIBLY CHANGED AT 105,000. KIA DOES CLAIM 100,000 WARRANTY, AND I HAD THE BUMPER TO BUMPER COV, SO I STILL FELT PRETTY CONFIDENT IN MY CAR. IF KIA HAD COMPLETELY DISCLOSED ALL THE MAINTENANCE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I WOULD HAVE WALKED. AT 38,000 MI I WAS ON MY WAY TO WA. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO THE TOP OF RICE HILL WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENED. 6 LANES OF 70MPH TRAFFIC, CONCRETE ON ALL SIDES AND NOWHERE TO GO, WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER. IT WAS VERY DISORIENTING THE ENGINE REVVED BUT NO POWER, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NOTHING,I WAS DUMBFOUNDED. I PUT MY FLASHERS ON AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE RT. LANE. WE PUSHED IT OVER THE TOP OF RICE HILL AND COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. I CALLED KIA, THEY TOLD ME I HAD NO COVERAGE, BECAUSE MY CAR WAS A WEEK PAST 5 YRS. WE TOWED IT TO KIA WHERE THEY TOLD ME I WASN'T COVERED. SO I CALLED KIA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS UP TO THE SERVICE MAN.. I WENT BACK TO KIA, AND THE MANAGER TOLD ME I NEEDED TO DO A DIAG TEST ($174.) WHICH I KNEW WAS IMPOS. BECAUSE THE CAR WON'T START. AFTERWARD THE SERVICE MAN TOLD ME HE HAD LOOKED AT MY CAR AND THE TB WAS GONE BUT THE PISTONS WERE FINE WHICH IS RARE. THEY WON'T FIX IT. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND 100 CONSUMERS WITH BLOWN ENGINES AND DEFECT. TIMING BELTS. WHATS UP? THIS IS DANGEROUS! IT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS! I WAS LUCKY! DO SOMETHING. *TR