NHTSA Complaint #10716444 — 2005 KIA SORENTO

I HAVE A 2005 KIA SORENTO AND LAST AUGUST I WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AND MY CAR MADE A VERY LOUD CLANKING BANG SOUND. MY CAR DIED, MY BATTERY, BRAKE AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TURNED THE KEY AND IT STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD BUT MY POWER STEERING WAS GONE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE THAT SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT BECAUSE IT WAS TO INTENSE (COST $150), SO I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER. AN ASE CERTIFIED CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF THE POWER TRAIN AND I HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE- MY CRANKSHAFT BOLT WAS SHEARED COMPLETELY OFF (NO CHARGE). THEY AND I CONTACTED KIA, KIA HAD ME TOW IT TO THEM (WHICH IS 50 MINUTES AWAY). THEY THEN TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED, AND THE PART WAS $10.97, HOWEVER THE WORK INVOLVED TO FIX IT WAS A LOT MORE EXTENSIVE AND GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $650.00-$750.00! IT COST ME $650.00 PLUS ALL MY TOWING COSTS ($240.00). I COULD HAVE SAVED THE TOWING COST AND HAD THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FIX IT SINCE I HAD TO PAY FOR IT! NOW, NOT EVEN A YEAR LATER, I BRING MY SORENTO TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE MECHANIC ASKED ME TO COME LOOK AT MY DRIVER SIDE TRAILING ARM BRACKET. IT IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND NO LONGER ATTACHED AND THE OTHER SIDE ISN'T IN GOOD SHAPE EITHER. THEY TELL ME IT WILL COST HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX IT AND I REALLY SHOULD CONTACT KIA BECAUSE THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I DECIDED TO RESEARCH THIS AND IT APPEARS THAT BOTH OF THESE ISSUES ARE COMMON AND UNSAFE. I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM KIA NOW ON HOW TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF.