NHTSA Complaint #10994361 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID

I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY WHEN MY VEHICLE STARTED TO STALL, AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STOP, WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR SLIGHTLY SPEEDS UP BUT THEN STARTS TO STALL AGAIN. AFTER SEVERAL REPEAT EPISODES OF STALLING, MY ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. SINCE THERE WAS NO STORES IN MY IMMEDIATE AREA AND NO CELLULAR SERVICE IN THE AREA, I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE AND MOVED INTO THE OUTER LANE. THE CYCLE OF STALLING AND INCREASING CONTINUED REPEATEDLY. ONCE I REACHED A SERVICE AREA, I WAS ABLE TO CALL A TOW SERVICE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP THAT HAPPENED TO BE A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND FOUND NOTHING BUT DID CHANGE MY OIL AND THE FILTER. FOR THE REST OF THE DAY MY CAR DROVE FINE, BUT MONDAY MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK BACK TO THE SAME STALLING CYCLE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT ON. I DROVE TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND LEFT IT FOR ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST. AFTER A WEEK AND A HALF I RECEIVE A CALL THAT THE TEST SHOWED THE CRANKSHAFT SENORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH A COST OF $200.00. AFTER THREE WEEKS, I RECEIVE A CALL THAT MY CAR IS FIXED. I PAY THE CHARGES AND DRIVE AWAY; AFTER DRIVING 10 MILES, MY CAR BEGINS TO STALL, ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE CAR IS MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THE CAR HAS A BURNING SMELL. I DRIVE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST IS DONE. THEN A KIA SALESMEN STATES "YOUR ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT THE CAR IS STILL DRIVEABLE; HOWEVER, AT SOME POINT, YOUR ENGINE WILL LOCK UP AND THE THE CAR WILL STALL AND STOP." "WE WILL TAKE YOUR CAR AS A TRADE IN TOWARDS A NEW KIA." I ASK IF MY CAR WILL BE REPAIRED UNDER THE KIA RECALL FOR THE OPTIMA. I WAS TOLD NO, THE HYBRID OPTIMA WAS NOT RECALLED.THE SALESMEN LOOKS AT THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR AND STATES "IT DOES HAVE A BURN SMELL." HE GIVES ME HIS NUMBER AND I DRIVE AWAY. AS OF TODAY KIA REFUSES TO FIX MY CAR UNDER THE RECALL AND I AM LEFT RENTING A VEHICLE DAILY.