NHTSA Complaint #10507260 — 2002 KIA SPORTAGE

I WAS FIRST MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN JANUARY 2013 WHEN I WENT TO MUNROE MUFFLER IN JOHNSTON, RI FOR A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD OF SIGNIFICANT ROT ON THE FRAME OF THE CAR. THEN AGAIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER BY ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO GAVE ME A BETTER PRICE ON THE MUFFLER SYSTEM AND INSTALLED THE MUFFLER SYSTEM. HE ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH KIA, WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD BY CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO GO TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALER AND HAVE THEM TAKE A LOOK AT THE ISSUE, THEY DID. I WAS THEN CONTACTED BY SOMEONE IN CONSUMER AFFAIRS LETTING ME KNOW THAT MY WARRANTY WAS UP AND THIS SEVERE ROT ON THE CHASSIS WAS MY PROBLEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. THEY KIA DEALER HAD GIVEN ME AN ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY $10,000 TO REPLACE THE CHASSIS BECAUSE IT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT AND VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I WENT TO HAVE MY CAR INSPECTED TODAY, AS IT IS DUE FOR RENEWAL AT THE END OF APRIL AND GUESS WHAT? IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE SEVERELY ROTTED CHASSIS. MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD! I HAVE ASKED KIA TO DO A RECALL AND REPLACE MY CHASSIS AT THEIR EXPENSE BECAUSE SURELY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES. THEY REFUSED. I JUST LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE I AM HAVING. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND MAKE KIA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. THE CHASSIS SHOULD NOT BE ROTTING OUT AT ONLY 11 YEARS OLD!!! I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT IF I HIT A BUMP THE FRONT OF THE FRAME COULD SNAP AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW DANGEROUS THAT WOULD BE FOR ME OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE CAR WITH ME. PLEASE HELP!! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6), *TR