NHTSA Complaint #10762403 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

WHILE DRIVING ON I95 WE BEGAN HEARING A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. IT WAS FAINT AT FIRST, JUST A PINGING THAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN WE PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR DOWN. WE JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE AT 94,000 MILES SO KNEW OUR OIL LEVEL WAS GOOD. THE FAINT NOISE GREW STEADILY LOUDER OVER THE NEXT 30 MINUTES AND WE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO A SERVICE/GAS STATION. THE MECHANICS CAME OUT WHEN THEY HEARD US PULL UP. THEY KNEW ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND WOULD NEED MAJOR REPAIRS IF NOT A REBUILD. THE KIA DEALER IS GOING TO CONFIRM TODAY, BUT I BEILEVE THAT IT IS AN ENGINE CONNECTION PIN THAT BROKE. WE WERE TOLD WE WERE LUCKY IT DID NOT BREAK AND PUNCTURE THE ENGINE BLOCK WHILE WE WERE DRIVING.