NHTSA Complaint #10917741 — 2015 KIA SORENTO

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50MPH IN MY SORRENTO THE CAR HESITATED AND STALLED WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS TO PASS A CAR NEXT TO ME. ITHE FELT LIKE A SLIP. I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF IT, BUT OVER THE NEXT 4 DAYS IT STARTED HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. I WENT TO TURN IT ON THE 4TH MORNING AND A CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF MY TAILPIPE. I DECIDED IT NEEDED TO GO TO KIA IMMEDIATELY. MY SORRENTO IS A 2015 WITH 27XXX MILES ON IT. THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED FROM A NEW CAR. I BROUGHT IT TO KIA AND WAS CALLED 10 MINUTES AFTER I RECEIVED MY COURTESY RIDE BACK. I WAS TOLD A DIAGNOSIS WAS SLUDGE AND THEY NEEDED MAINTENENCE RECORDS. I BROUGHT MY RECEIPTS (WHICH I HAD TO HAVE MY MECHANIC TYPE BACK OUT AS I HADN'T SAVED ANY RECIEPTS). WHEN WE BROUGHT THOSE IN I HAD A SPARE KEY TO MY CAR AND NOTICED IT WAS IN THE PARKING LOT. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD ONLY TO DISCOVER THEY HADN'T EVEN PULLED THE VALVE COVER ON THE CAR (I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS A DEAD WASP FROZEN TO THE TOP OF THE BOLT YOU NEED TO TAKE OFF TO REMOVE THE COVER THAT WAS THERE WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN). THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY OPENED THE CAP AND THAT'S HOW THEY KNEW EVEN THOUGH INITIALLY ON THE PHONE THEY SAID THEY PULLED THE VALVE COVER. THEY TOOK MY SERVICE PAPERS AND CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY TO SAY KIA WON'T COVER IT AND REJECTED MY RECORDS. MY MECHANIC IS A LICENSED MECHANIC. NO REASON GIVEN FOR THE REJECTION. THEY SAY WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT BUT STILL CAN'T GIVE US A DIAGNOSIS OTHER THAN "SLUDGE". SO MUCH FOR THEIR "BEST WARRANTY IN THE BUSINESS". *TR