NHTSA Complaint #11071736 — 2015 KIA OPTIMA

THE CAR ENGINE DIED ONE DAY WHEN I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL IN HEAVY RAIN ON A VERY BUSY TWO WAY STREET WITH FOUR LANES ACROSS. WE'RE LUCKY WE WEREN'T INJURED BECAUSE OTHER CARS COMING UP BEHIND US COULDN'T SEE THAT WELL IN THE RAIN. THERE WAS NEVER ANY KNOCKING OR INDICATION OF ANYTHING WRONG. IT JUST DIED OUT OF THE BLUE. WE TOOK IT TO KIA AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE SEIZED DUE TO SLUDGE. I HAD TO GET THE ENGINE REBUILT ON MY OWN DIME ($3000 PLUS TOWING ETC.) BECAUSE KIA REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY. THE CAR WAS ONLY ABOUT A YEAR OLD AT THAT POINT. THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO GIVE THEM ALL RECEIPTS SHOWING OIL CHANGES ETC. AND EVEN WHEN I BROUGHT THE RECEIPTS THEY SAID IT WASN'T ENOUGH AND THAT IT WAS MY FAULT. NOT TO MENTION KIA HAS ALREADY RECALLED THIS SAME ENGINE IN EARLIER MODELS AND IT'S THE SAME ENGINE (THETA II) THAT IS IN THE HUYUNDAI SONATA WHICH WAS ALSO RECALLED FOR SEIZING/SLUDGE. IT IS PRETTY OBVIOUS THIS ENGINE IS FAULTY AND KIA NEEDS TO RECALL IT BUT THEY AREN'T INCLUDING THIS 2015 IN THE RECALL WITH THE 2014, 2013 AND 2012 MODELS.