NHTSA Complaint #10786945 — 2006 KIA SORENTO

ON OCT.8, 2015 MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK AND SHE STARTED TO HEAR A LOUD SOUND AND WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY STEERING. SEVERAL OF THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON SUCH AS ENGINE, BRAKE, BATTERY. SHE MADE IT HOME, I CAME OUT TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD. MY DAD AND I LOOKED AND AT THE TIME BOTH PULLEYS WERE MOVING AND MY DAD JUST ASSUMED IT WAS A LOOSE BOLT ON THE PULLEY AND IT NEEDED TO BE TIGHTEN. THE NEXT DAY OCT.9, 2015, I TOOK MY TRUCK DOWN TO AN AUTO SHOP STILL HAVING TROUBLE STEERING AND STILL HEARING A LOUD NOISE. WHEN I POPPED THE HOOD AND THE MECHANIC LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD WE BOTH NOTICED THAT THE PULLEY HAD STOP MOVING. THE SHOP WAS ACTUALLY AT THERE CLOSING SO I HAD TO DRIVE IT BACK HOME. THE NEXT DAY OCT.10, 2015 I WENT TO TRY AND TAKE MY TRUCK DOWN TO THE SHOP AND COULD START IT. IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT START, SO THEY HAD TO COME AND TOW IT AWAY. THE MECHANIC ASSUMED WITHOUT TAKING IT OFF THAT I WOULD NEED AN HARMONIC BALANCER, UPON TAKING THIS PART OFF HE NOTICED THE BOLT WAS LOOSE. WHILE REMOVING THIS PART THE BOLT BROKE IN HALF LODGING INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS AN RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR PART, SO I CALLED KIA CONSUMER LINE TO CHECK THEY TOLD ME THERE ISN'T ONE ON MY TRUCK. KIA SUGGESTED THAT I BUY A NEW ENGINE. THE BOLT TO THE PULLEY COST BETWEEN $7- $10.49. I ALSO SEARCHED AND PRICED AN REBUILT OR USED ENGINE THAT WOULD RUN LOWEST $2,001.50 AND UP. I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THIS CAR AND THE REPAIRS WILL COST JUST AS MUCH AS THE REMAINDER OF PAYMENTS THAT I HAVE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY AN ENGINE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR KIA SORENTO'S FOR SOME TIME NOW. THERE ACTUALLY WAS AN RECALL ON THIS SAME PART SOME YEARS BACK. AFTER READING SEVERAL REVIEWS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM I SEE IT HASN'T BEEN RESOLVE AND STILL REMAINS A PROBLEM TODAY.