NHTSA Complaint #10839138 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE OVERPASS AND MERGING ONTO ANOTHER HIGHWAY MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO VEER OFF THE FREEWAY TO A SIDE STREET WHEN I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND A LOT OF SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. BEFORE THIS I HAD NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I HAD IT TOWED TO KIA WHERE I WAS TOLD THIS WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE AS THERE IS METAL DEBRIS IN THE OIL FILTER AND OIL PAN. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 71000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE OIL CHANGE RECORDS TO PROVE MAINTENANCE EVERY 5000 MILES OR SOONER ON THE CAR. IT HAS NOW BEEN ALMOST 2 WEEKS AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR KIA TO RESPOND IF THEY ARE GOING TO FIX MY VEHICLE. SINCE I AM CONSIDERED THE 2ND OWNER (EVEN THOUGH THE FIRST OWNER WAS THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM) I ONLY HAVE A 60K MILE WARRANTY. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE STORIES ON 2012 KIA OPTIMA'S DOING THE SAME THING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND KIA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS PROBLEM!