NHTSA Complaint #10925997 — 2011 KIA OPTIMA

CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON CITY STREET WHEN SMOKE APPEARED OUT OF THE HOOD OF THE CAR. CAR WAS DRIVEN TO A SAFE SPOT IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM.FLASHLIGHT SHOWED A LARGE HOLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE. CAR WAS TOWED TO KIA DEALERSHIP AND INSPECTED. ALL OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS WERE SUBMITTED AS PER DEALERSHIP REQUEST. DEALERSHIP SUBMITTED CLAIM TO KIA HEADQUARTERS TO SEE IF ENGINE WOULD BE COVERED, I. E.,REPLACED. NEXT DAY ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS APPROVED AT NO COST TO ME. IT HAS NOW BEEN OVER A MONTH, THERE ARE OTHER KIA CARS AT THIS DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND STILL NO REPLACEMENT ENGINE. I SPOKE TO KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE IN SO. CALIFORNIA AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER AND THE MESSAGE THAT THE ENGINE IS ON BACK-ORDER. NO ETA CAN BE PROVIDED AND APPARENTLY THERE IS A BACKLOG OF CARS WITH THIS CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO END IN SIGHT. ANY ASSISTANCE FROM YOUR OFFICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.