NHTSA Complaint #10519827 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

DRIVING ON A CITY ROAD DURING NORMAL TRAFFIC (4:30PM EST) MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE LARGE RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD PICKED UP SOMTHING ON THE ROAD, BUT AS I ACCELERATED/DECCELERATED THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER/SOFTER. I IMMEDIATLEY CONTACTED MY KIA DEALERSHIP. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER HE TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN NEXT WEEK SINCE THAT WOULD BE THE SOONEST IT COULD BE LOOKED AT. I INFORMED HIM THAT I DID'NT THINK I COULD EVEN MAKE IT HOME LET ALONE WAIT A WEEK TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN. HE STATED I COULD DROP IT OFF, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE LOOKED AT UNTIL NEXT WEEK. EITHER WAY, WITHIN 10 MIUTES OF DRIVING A LARGE BANGING NOISE WENT OFF UNDER THE HOOD, ENGINE OIL SPRAYED THROUGHT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND I HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. KIA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 2 WEEKS OLD AND HAD 600 MILES WHEN THIS OCCURED. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP I WOULD NOT WANT A VEHICLE WITH A REPLACED ENGINE AND THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT IS MY ONLY OPTION. I WILL NOT BE PURCHASING FROM KIA AGAIN AS THERE WAS NO SUPPORT FROM THEIR CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE EITHER. *TR