NHTSA Complaint #10889100 — 2014 KIA OPTIMA

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. MY CAR STALLED AND I HAD TO RESTART VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON BEFORE OR AFTER THE CAR TURNED OFF. WHITE SMOKE APPEARED. SO MUCH SMOKE I COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS FROM BACK OR FRONT OF CAR. I DROVE THE CAR A COUPLE MORE BLOCKS AND HEARD AN EXTREMELY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE, CAR STARTED JERKING AND TRYING TO DIE/STALL AND AGAIN A TON OF SMOKE. I PARKED THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. SOMEONE FROM SERVICE DEPT CALLED AND SAID IT WAS A BAD BATTERY AND WOULD BE 350+ TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. HE LIED AND TOLD ME HE PUT A NEW BATTERY IN IT AND DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK AND IT WAS FINE. I SPOKE TO SERVICE MANAGER TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE MY VEHICLE. I HAS OT PAY DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND WAS TOLD 5 DAYS LATER THAT IT WAS ENGINE FAILURE AND I NEEDED TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS. I TOLD THEM I HAD JUST MOVED AND THE ONLY RECEIPTS I COULD GET WERE THE ONES IN THE CAR UNTIL I COULD GET THROUGH THE BOXES IN STORAGE AND GARAGE. THEY SAID TO PROVIDE WHAT I COULD FIND. I WAS ABLE TO EASILY LOCATE 4 RECEIPTS (THEY WANTED 10, VEHICLE HAS 53,000 MILES) I EXPLAINED AGAIN THAT I KNEW THE CAR HAD A DEFECTIVE ENGINE AND EXPECTED IT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS NOTIFIED 10 DAYS LATER THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY AND I ESCALATED MY CLAIM TO KIA CUSTOMER CARE. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WILL FILE VEHICLE ABANDONMENT ON MY CAR IF I DO NOT REMOVE OR REPAIR. I HAVE YET TO BE GIVEN AN EXACT AMOUNT OF COST TO REPAIR. I PROVIDED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT KIA MAILED OUT ON JUNE 10, 2016. IT WAS PUSHED BACK AT ME AND I WAS TOLD "THEY KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S NOT COVERED" I WAS NOT INJURED, BUT I WAS NOT ON MAJOR HIGHWAY AND ONLY ON SIDE RESIDENTIAL STREET WHEN IT OCCURRED AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO SIDE OF ROAD. KIA KNOWS OF THE DEFECT AND DANGER IT POSES & REFUSES TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE.