NHTSA Complaint #10991094 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

CRUISING ALONG AT FREEWAY SPEED, 75 MPH, VEHICLE MOMENTARILY LOST POWER AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL OR DOWN SHIFT. UPON RESUMING SPEED, HEARD A TAPPING NOISE AND A LOUD BANG, SAW SMOKE COMING OUT THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AND OBJECTS TOSSED OUT. SAW A VEHICLE FOLLOWING IN MY LANE, SWERVE AS IF AVOIDING AN OBJECT BUT DID NOT STOP. COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, NOTICED A TRAIL OF OIL. UPON PARKING, CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, NOTICED OIL DRIPPING AND METAL PIECES, AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HOLE IN THE OIL PAN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD, A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, THAT THE VEHICLE MAY BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR SIMILAR DEFECTS. DOING AN ONLINE QUERY, I NOTICED THAT THE 2.4 ENGINE FOR THIS MODEL WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN, ALTHOUGH OTHER MODELS WITH THE 2.4 ENGINE WERE. FORTUNATELY, IT APPEARS THAT NO FOLLOWING VEHICLES WERE HIT WITH ANY OF THE DEBRIS COMING OFF THE VEHICLE. UPON CHECKING THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, I PICKED UP WHAT APPEARED TO BE A PIECE OF THE ENGINE'S CONNECTING ROD. HAD THIS PIECE HIT A FOLLOWING VEHICLE, IT COULD'VE RESULTED IN PROPERTY DAMAGE OR UNKNOWN INJURIES TO ITS OCCUPANTS.