NHTSA Complaint #10914937 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

IN MARCH OF 2016 MY 2013 KIA OPTIMA DIED AT AN INTERSECTION IN TOWN. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY MALFUNCTION, (NO LIGHTS, NO ABNORMAL BEHAVIORS), BUT THE OIL LIGHT DID COME ON VERY BRIEFLY RIGHT BEFORE THE ENGINE DIED. I PUT GAS AND 1 QUART OF OIL IN THEN JUMPED THE BATTERY AND DROVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP. KIA INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY AND THAT MY OIL WAS TOO THICK, DIRTY, AND VISCOUS AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE AN OIL CHANGE AND HAVE A SPECIAL TREATMENT PUT IN THE CAR, (SEAFOAM), TO HELP CLEAN THE ENGINE OUT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN 500 TO 1000 MILES (AGAINST MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATIONS), TO FLUSH THE TREATMENT OUT OF THE ENGINE AND CHANGE THE OIL AGAIN. WE RETURNED WITH THE CAR A LITTLE OVER 500 MILES LATER AND KIA INFORMED US THAT IT NEEDED ANOTHER SPECIAL TREATMENT BECAUSE THE OIL REREMAINED DIRTY SO THEY PUT ANOTHER TREATMENT IN THE CAR AND THEN INSTRUCTED US TO BRING IT BACK AGAIN IN 500 TO 1000 MILES BUT AFTER 4 DAYS THE CAR STARTED MAKING A VERY LOUD TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND SOON AFTER THE ENGINE WAS RUINED ALL TOGETHER DUE TO A FAULTY CONNECTING ROD BEARING IN THE CRANKSHAFT. WHEN WE DRAINED THE OIL 4 DAYS AFTER KIA CHANGED IT , IT WAS BLACK, THIN LIKE WATER AND FULL OF DIRT AND SEDIMENT. AFTER THE LOUD ENGINE NOISES BEGAN I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO KIA WHO THEN INFORMS ME IT WOULD COST ANOTHER $350 TO DIAGNOSE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. FEELING LIKE THEY HAD TREATED THE ENGINE IMPROPERLY ALREADY I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC AND DECLINED ANY MORE OF THEIR SERVICES. I HAD COMPLETED MY OIL CHANGES ON TIME DESPITE NOT HAVING MY RECORD AT THE TIME OF MY SERVICE HOWEVER KIA REFUSED TO HONOR MY EXPENSIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY STATING THAT I COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY DONE THE OIL CHANGES AT REGULAR INTERVALS DUE TO THE HIGH AMOUNT OF SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE.