NHTSA Complaint #10628921 — 2002 KIA RIO

I JUST GOT MY CAR FIXED ON MON. 8/25/14. I TOOK IT IN BECAUSE IT WAS IDLING ROUGH. THE SHOP PUT IN NEW SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES. IT COST ME $180. I DROVE IT HOME. IT WAS SMOOTH. THEN I DROVE TO DOWNTOWN AKRON, ABOUT 15 MILES, TO A HIKE. WHEN I WAS ALMOST THERE, MY CAR JUST WENT DEAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I PULLED OVER AND PARKED OFF THE BUSY ROAD ONTO A PARKING LOT (PART OF/BY AKRON UNIVERSITY). THE CAR WAS DEAD. IT MADE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN I TRIED TO START IT. I CALLED AAA AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG (IT HAD A BRAND NEW 6 YEAR BATTERY IN IT). THEY TOWED ME BACK TO THE SHOP THAT HAD WORKED ON IT EARLIER THAT DAY - 15 MILES. THE NEXT DAY, 8/26/14, THE SHOP TOLD ME THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND IT RUINED THE ENGINE. THEY SAID KIA'S HAVE AN INTERFERENCE MOTOR. WHEN THE BELT BREAKS, IT BREAKS OFF ALL THE PISTONS (SOMETHING LIKE THAT) AND RUINS THE MOTOR. IT CAN'T BE FIXED. I HAVE TO BUY A NEW MOTOR $2000 APPRX, OR A NEW CAR. I LIVE ALONE AND DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR EITHER. I WAS COUNTING ON THIS CAR TO LAST ME 2-3 MORE YEARS. A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT GARAGES TOLD ME IT LOOKED GOOD AND SHOULD LAST THAT LONG AT LEAST. I WAS GOING TO START SAVING FOR A NEW CAR. THIS IS VERY UNETHICAL OF KIA. THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO MAKE/SELL A CAR THAT HAS A MOTOR THAT SELF-DESTRUCTS. I'VE HAD OTHER CARS AND THE TIMING BELT BROKE, BUT IT DID NOT RUIN THE MOTOR. THEY JUST REPLACED THE TIMING BELT. THIS IS HORRIBLE! I HAD NO IDEA, NO WARNING! ALL THE SHOP I TOOK IT TO NEVER SAID A THING! KIA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO THIS. THEY SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE TO WARN YOU ABOUT IT! I HAVE A MANUAL AND I NEVER SAW ANYTHING ABOUT IT IN THERE. MY CHEVY MANUAL HAD THE MILES AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AT THOSE MILES. THE KIA BOOK DOES NOT. I HAD NO IDEA!! THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL! TOTAL RIP OFF! *TR