NHTSA Complaint #10485272 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

I PULLED A TRAILER FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THIS DATE. THE TRUCK ONLY MADE IT 10 MILES, AND LOST ALL POWER, AND I BARELY MADE IT OFF OF THE FREEWAY. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY FOUND THE SPARK PLUGS BLEW APART. ALL THEY DID WAS CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. ON JULY 13TH, I TOWED MY CAMPER, WHICH WAS LIGHTER THAN THE LAST TRAILER I PULLED. THIS TIME, ABOUT 6 MILES INTO THE TRIP, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LET GO ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO GET ACROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER AND A CAMPER IN-TOW. WAITED AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF BEFORE KIA SENT A TOW VEHICLE. DISCOVERED ALL 4 SPARK PLUGS WERE DESTROYED, AND A HOLE IN CYLINDER 3. KIA WILL NOT WARRANTY IT, BLAMING THE ENGINE FAILURE ON THE CAMPER NOT HAVING TRAILER BRAKES(COMPLETELY ABSURD). THE FIRST FAILURE IN JUNE, THE TRAILER WEIGHED 500LBS MORE, AND HAD TRAILER BRAKES. KIA DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT FAULT FOR THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FAULT IN THEIR ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IS RATED FOR 2,000LBS TOWING CAPACITY, AND BOTH TRAILERS WERE WELL UNDER THE LIMIT. MY CAMPER IS ONLY 1,155LBS. COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY PUT ME AND MY ENTIRE FAMILY IN DANGER TWICE. THIS IS UN-ACCEPTABLE. THIS WAS A LOADED SX AWD.(TURBOCHARGED). *TR