NHTSA Complaint #10439654 — 2006 KIA SEDONA

I HAVE OWNED MY 2006 KIA SEDONA SINCE JAN 2008 AND HAVE HAD A PERSISTENT PROBLEM OF OIL LEAKING FROM THE VALVE COVERS AND THE OIL PAN GASKET. THIS OIL LEAK ISSUE HAS BEEN 'FIXED' 5 TIMES TILL NOW, ON WARRANTY COVERAGE AT THE FOLLOWING KIA DEALERSHIPS (IN DESCENDING ORDER OF DATES)' - 1) FULLERTON KIA ON 10/29/2010 2) FULLERTON KIA ON 08/21/2010 3) GLENDALE KIA ON 06/08/2009 4) GLENDALE KIA ON 12/24/2008 5) FULLERTON KIA ON 01/30/2008 DUE TO THE DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE PARTS ON THE 2006 SEDONA, OIL LEAKING FROM THE VALVE COVER ON THE TOP, FALLS DIRECTLY ON THE ALTERNATOR LOCATED JUST BELOW IT. WITH TIME, THE OIL LEAK RESIDUE CLOGS UP THE ALTERNATOR ITSELF, THEREBY LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM (WHICH HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES ALREADY ON WARRANTY COVERAGE) AND ALSO THE ALTERNATOR BREAKING DOWN ITSELF. THERE HAVE BEEN 2 OCCASIONS WHERE MY VEHICLE HAS GONE COMPLETELY DEAD AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS DRIVING, LEADING TO A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED IN TO A DEALERSHIP AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED ON WARRANTY COVERAGE. FOLLOWING ARE THE DEALERSHIPS AND DATES WHEN THE BATTERY/ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED (IN DESCENDING ORDER OF DATES) - 1) FULLERTON KIA ON 05/10/2011 (ALTERNATOR) 2) FULLERTON KIA ON 10/29/2010 (BATTERY) 3) GLENDALE KIA ON 08/22/2009 (ALTERNATOR) 4) GLENDALE KIA ON 08/22/2009 (BATTERY) 5) GLENDALE KIA ON 06/08/2009 (BATTERY) I NOW HAVE THE SAME OIL LEAK PROBLEM ONCE AGAIN AND THE OIL HAS ALREADY STARTED SEEPING FROM THE VALVE COVERS INTO THE ALTERNATOR. I AM DREADING THE DAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE WHEN THE ALTERNATOR WILL STOP WORKING AND CAUSE MY VEHICLE TO STALL AGAIN ON THE ROAD WHEN MY FAMILY AND KIDS ARE DRIVING IN IT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A HUGE QUALITY/SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO THE KIA SPARE PARTS USED TO FIX THE OIL LEAK PROBLEM. *TR