NHTSA Complaint #11022610 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

ON 09/10/2017 WHILE DRIVING A 2012 KIA SORENTO DOWN THE HIGHWAY I HEARD A RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE WITH A LOUD BANG A FEW SECONDS LATER.THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT ON 03/17/2017 KIA ANNOUNCED A RECALL FOR 2012 SORENTOS. KIA'S RECALL: SC147: " BEARING WEAR MAY RESULT IN ENGINE SEIZURE" THIS IS ON KIA'S AND NHTSA'S WEBSITES. [ NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 17V224000 "MACHINING ERRORS DURING THE ENGINE MANUFACTURING PROCESS MAY CAUSE PREMATURE BEARING WEAR WITHIN THE ENGINE"] I CONTACTED KIA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1800-333-4542 AND BETHANY TOLD THAT MY 2012 KIA SORENTO WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL BECAUSE THE VIN # WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. SHE SAID THAT I COULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD CHECK THE OTHER 2 RECALL THOUGH. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE TO SEE OIL POURING OUT FROM A 3 INCH HOLE IN THE BLOCK, TOWARD THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, WHERE THE THROWN ROD BROKE THE BLOCK. OIL IS CHANGED EVERY THREE MONTHS AND THE VEHICLE HAS 120,129 MILES ON IT. THE COST OF A USED ENGINE ALONE IS NEAR $3000, PLUS LABOR TO INSTALL A MOTOR THAT COULD DO THE SAME THING. I WOULD LIKE KIA MOTORS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE WITH A NEW ENGINE AT NO COST.