NHTSA Complaint #10817451 — 2011 KIA OPTIMA

MY MOTOR BLEW AT 102K MILES WITH NO WARNING. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF LOSING POWER, NO KNOCKING, THE OIL WAS FULL.... THE CAR STALLED AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING AND WOULDN'T RESTART. THIS OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 29, 2015. I HAD TO WALK HOME AT TEN O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED HOME THE NEXT DAY. WE THEN HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC. HE MANAGED TO START THE CAR WHICH IMMEDIATELY STARTED KNOCKING. I CALLED BACK LATER AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CAR HAD THROWN A MAIN BEARING AND THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I THEN PURCHASED ANOTHER MOTOR WITH 48,000 MILES ON IT FOR $2,000 AND HAD IT SHIPPED FROM PENNSYLVANIA. THE MOTOR WAS INSTALLED AND RAN FINE. LESS THAN TWO MONTH'S LATER (ON DECEMBER 25TH TO BE EXACT, THE CAR STALLED WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY (ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT). I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, IT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN KNOCKING. I CAN ASSUME THAT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH THE SECOND MOTOR. THE COMPANY WHO SOLD THE SECOND MOTOR IS CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TO REPLACE THE ONE I PURCHASED BUT I HAVE TO EAT THE LABOR COSTS INCURRED WHICH AMOUNTED TO OVER $1,000 ALONE. HYUNDAI HAS A RECALL ON THIS EXACT MOTOR BECAUSE OF THE MAIN BEARING BUT HYUNDAI (WHO OWNS KIA) WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS JUNK MOTOR EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE REPLACING HYUNDAI'S WITH THE SAME MOTOR. AND KIA WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BAD MOTOR EITHER BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT IT'S "NOT A HYUNDAI" AND IT'S 2,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. I STRONGLY FEEL I SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO A REIMBURSEMENT. EVERY INDICATION IS THAT THE 2.4L GDI MOTOR IS A BAD MOTOR. I STILL OWE $7,000 TO KIA FINANCE FOR THIS CAR WHILE IT HAS DRAINED MY FINANCES AND CONTINUES TO DRAIN MY FINANCES. THANK YOU. *TR