NHTSA Complaint #10849822 — 2011 KIA OPTIMA

ON FEBRUARY 26, 2016 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45AM ON MD RT. 695 SOUTH I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE GOING 55 MPH DRIVING WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THE OPTIMA WAS DRIVING NORMALLY THERE WERE NO SOUNDS COMING FROM THE ENGINE, WHEN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR SHOOK VIOLENTLY I LOST ALL POWER AT THE SAME TIME ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON. I PRESSED ON GAS PEDAL THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE OPTIMA I HAD NO POWER. I QUICKLY PUT ON MY RIGHT TURN SIGNAL TO GET OVER THE FOUR LANES; I WAS TRYING TO GET TO THE SAFETY OF THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. IT WAS AMAZING THAT WITH ALL THE TRAFFIC I WAS NOT HIT BY ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER TO THE WHEELS I WAS JUST COASTING THE OPTIMA WAS STARTING TO SLOW DOWN WITHOUT THE ENGINE TO POWER IT. I ENDED UP ON EXIT 17 WHICH IS SECURITY BLVD. RAMP. I OPENED THE HOOD OF THE OPTIMA I SAW OIL ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND OIL DOWN AROUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I CALLED AAA TO GET MY OPTIMA TOWED TO THE AUTO SHOP I GO TO IN NEW OXFORD PA. THAT WAS ABOUT 45 MILES WAY FROM WHERE THE OPTIMA'S ENGINE DIED. THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE ENGINE; HE STATED THAT A ROD FROM THE ENGINE HAD GONE THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THERE METAL PIECES AND OIL ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE AND AROUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER THE MECHANIC STATED HE COULDN'T FIND AN ENGINE FOR MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA I HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN GETTYSBURG, PA. THE KIA DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE ENGINE. THEY CHARGED ME $89.00 FOR AN HOUR LABOR TO LOOK AT MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA. I WAS TOLD THAT EITHER THE MAIN BARRING TO THE CONNECTING ROD MALFUNCTIONED OR THE PIN THAT CONNECTS TO THE PISTON COULD HAVE JUST BROKEN. AT THIS PRESENT TIME I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY THIS ENGINE'S MAJOR PARTS CAME APART AND CAUSED ME TO LOSE ALL POWER AND PUT MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS AT RISK.