NHTSA Complaint #10726820 — 2005 KIA SORENTO

I WAS DRIVING THOUGH A PARKING LOT ON LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND HEARD A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SO, AFTER I PARKED I POPPED THE HOOD, I ALSO STARTED TO HEAR A SQUEAKING NOISE (BELTS RUBBING), SO I DROVE HOME AND PARKED IT UNTIL MONDAY WHEN I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A PULLEY FOR THE TIMING BELT, THEY GOT IT IN ON WEDNESDAY AND CALLED TO HAVE ME COME TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE NOISES WHEN I GOT THERE, THEY EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT THAT HELD THE FLY WHEEL ON AND THERE WHERE TWO OPTIONS (1)I COULD DRIVE IT UNTIL THE BOLT SNAPPED OR (2) THEY COULD TRY AND BREAK THE BOLT LOOSE AND REPLACE IT, SO WE WENT WITH OPTION NUMBER 2 AND AFTER ABOUT FIVE HOURS I GOT A CALL TELLING ME THAT THE BOLT HAD SNAPPED AND THEY HAD TRIED WELDING A NEW BOLT ON TO TRY AND BREAK THE REST OF IT LOOSE, AND THEY HAD TRIED TO DRILL OUT THE BOLT BUT WITH NO LUCK, THEY THEN GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A RE-MANUFACTURED ENGINE THE ESTIMATE WAS $6,900.00 BEFORE TAX, SO I CALLED KIA CORPORATE AND THEY TOOK A WEEK TO COME BACK AND TELL ME DUE TO THE AGE, THE MILEAGE, AND NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER THEY WOULD NOT PAY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE SO NOW I'M GOING TO JOIN THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. VERY BAD ENGINEERING DESIGN TO THINK ONE SEER PIN COULD HOLD THAT BOLT PLUS IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE USING A DEEP THREAD SKINNY SHAFT BOLT WHICH MEANS THE THREADS ARE HOLDING A 15-20LBS FLY WHEEL WHEN THAT SEER PIN SNAPS, VERY DISAPPOINTED IN KIA, WILL NEVER BUY THEIR CARS AGAIN ..UPDATED 08/24/15 *BF