NHTSA Complaint #11081052 — 2011 KIA SPORTAGE

MY CAR STARTED GETTING BAD GAS MPG AND LOSS OF POWER AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON REGARDING 2 BAD CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS. KIA DEALER CHECKED THE CAR AND SAID THE SENSORS SIMPLY NEEDED REPLACED. I REPLACED THE SENSOR AND CAR PROBLEMS GOT WORSE. ENGINE MAKES TICKING NOISE WHEN RUNNING. KIA SERVICE HAD NO SOLUTION. AFTER ABOUT 1 TO 2 MONTHS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED AND EVERYTHING WENT DEAD. I HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND STEER THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD FORTUNATELY AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT. I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST 50 TO 100 TIMES WHILE STOPPED AND WHILE MOVING IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AFTER A DAY I WAS CONTACTED BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AND TOLD THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED UP AND I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE ($4500+). I'VE ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP AND KIA CORPORATE WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE FAILURE BUT THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ME A REASON FOR THE FAILURE OR INVESTIGAE WHY THE CAR CONTINUALLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THEN DIED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD LOOK FOR A CAUSE IF I PAID THEM $1500 UP FRONT. BOTTOM LINE WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR IS THE EXACT SAME AS DETAILED IN KIA RECALL SC147. KIA REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THIS, SAYS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRENTY AND I'M SIMPLY SCREWED. I'M NOT PAYING $4500+ FOR A NEW ENGINE WHEN THEY CAN'T EVEN TELL ME WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE FIRST ONE. KIA SAYS MY CAR HAS MPI FUEL INJECTION AND THE RECALL SC147 ONLY COVERS CARS WITH GDI FUEL INJECTION. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT RECALL SC147 HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM. DESPITE COMMUNICATION WITH HIGHEST LEVELS OF KIA AMERICA AND THE DEALERSHIP I'VE BEEN TOLD REPEATEDLY THAT KIA WILL DO NOTHING FOR ME. KIA STATED THAT MY CAR ENGINE TO SEIZE UP AND DIE AT 78,000 IS COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE TO KIA.