NHTSA Complaint #10972281 — 2012 KIA FORTE

MY WIFE AND I WERE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE GOING ABOUT 75MPH ON A HIGHWAY IN SOUTHEAST KANSASWHEN MY CAR ESSENTIALLY TURNED OFF. LUCKILY THERE WAS A SHOULDER TO PULL ONTO. TRIED JUMPING IT WITH NO LUCK. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY TOWN TO A BODY SHOP WHO KEPT IT OVER THE WEEKEND TO TRY AND REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THIS WAS A FRIDAY AND WE RETURNED THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY TO PICK UP THE CAR. BODYSHOP STATED THEY COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO REPICATE WHAT HAD HAPPEND AND NOTHING FLASHED ON THE COMPUTER. WE DROVE IT IN THE TOWN A LITTLE BIT WITH NO ISSUES AND PROCEEDED HOME. WE WERE OUT OF THE TOWN ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHEN WE HEARD A SMALL KNOCKING THAT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. WE PULLED OVER. WE CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD TO THE NEXT TOWN WHICH WAS ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY TO A BODY SHOP. WE JUST GOT INTO TOWN WHEN THE CAR DIED AGAIN AS IF I TURNED THE CAR OFF. I MUSCLED THE CAR TO A PARKING LOT. TRIED TURNING THE CAR ON AGAIN AND ENGINE STARTED SMOKING. GOT IT TOWED BACK HOME TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP WHO LOOKED AT IT THE NEXT DAY TO INFORM ME I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE, MAIN WIRE HARNESS, AND STARTER. I CONTACTED KIA, EVENTHOUGH I WAS ONLY 11K MILES OVER WARRANTY, TO SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. GOT IT TOWED TO A LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP WHO LOOKED IT OVER AND FOUND LOTS A METAL IN THE OIL. THEY PUT A CLAIM IN WITH KIA WHICH THEY DENIED. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO THEN SENT IT TO THE DISTRICT MANAGER AND HE DENIED ANY HELP. IT THEN GOT ESCALATED TO A HIGHER DEPARTMENT AND THEY DENIED ANY HELP EITHER. PRIOR TO THIS I HAD NO ISSUES OR PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. DURING THE TIME I HAD MY CAR I HAD PROPER OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE. THE CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 71,462 MILES ON IT AND NOW NEEDS A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. THANKFULLY THE TIMES IT STALLED, WHICH NO WARNING LIGHT EVER CAME ON NOR WAS THERE EVER A NOISE OF ANY KIND INDICATING ANYTING WAS WRONG, MY WIFE AND I WERE NOT IN A CRASH.