NHTSA Complaint #11003237 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

IN APRIL 2014 I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 2013 KIA OPTIMA FROM LOMAN AUTO SALES IN WOODBRIDGE, NJ. OVER THE LAST YEAR THE CAR HAD 2 OR 3 INSTANCES WHEN IT WOULDN'T START. I WOULD HAVE IT 'JUMPED' AND IT WOULD WORK FINE AGAIN. ON JUNE 13, 2017 I WAS DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHEN THE CAR MADE A STRANGE NOISE, THE DASHBOARD BEGIN TO FLICKER, AND THEN THE CAR SHUT OFF. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAPPENED, BUT I FIGURED PERHAPS THE CAR JUST NEEDED A JUMP. I CALLED MY FAMILY MECHANIC AND HE ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO JUMP THE CAR; WITH NO SUCCESS. AS HE BEGAN OBSERVING THE CAR HE STATED THAT IT WASN'T THE BATTERY BUT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE ENGINE. HE ADVISED ME TO CONTACT KIA BECAUSE HE HAD A CUSTOMER WHOSE CAR RECENTLY DID THE VERY SAME THING (HYUNDAI SONATA) AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HER CAR DUE TO THE ENGINE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED GATEWAY KIA IN NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ. I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER THERE AND HE ARRANGED FOR THE CAR TO BE TOWED TO THEIR LOCATION. FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS IT WAS A BUNCH OF BACK AND FORTH CALLS BEING MADE TO THE DEALER. I BEGAN TO GET ANNOYED ESPECIALLY AFTER TELLING THEM THAT THE CAR WOULDN'T JUMP, THEY INSISTED THAT BEFORE THEY COULD DIAGNOSE THE ENGINE I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT I PURCHASED A BATTERY AND BROUGHT IT TO THEM (A HUGE INCONVENIENCE) ALL FOR THEM TO TELL ME IT WASN'T THE BATTERY BUT INDEED THE ENGINE. ALL OF THIS TIME I HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM KIA REGARDING A RECALL. HOWEVER, THEY DID MANAGE TO SEND ME DOZENS OF LETTERS IN THE MAIL REGARDING MY WARRANTY. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER I HAD ALREADY CONTACTED KIA THAT I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL (2 DAYS AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED). STRANGELY THE LETTER WAS DATED "MAY 30, 2017." THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. I AM JUST GRATEFUL THAT I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY; WHICH IS WHERE I WAS HEADED.