NHTSA Complaint #11083318 — 2011 KIA SORENTO

SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE CRANK SHAFT, ROD, AND ROD BEARING. FAILURE RESULTED IN A ROD BEARING BLOWING A HOLE THROUGH THE MOTOR BLOCK AND OIL PAIN RESULTING IN OIL DRAINAGE AND SUBSEQUENT CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENTIRE MOTOR. IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THIS EVENT I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY NOISES OR CHANGE IN VEHICLE BEHAVIOR. ALL FUNCTIONED AS NORMAL. I MERGED ONTO A HIGHWAY AND REACHED A SPEED OF APPROX 65 MPH FOR APPROX 2 MILES ALL WAS NORMAL AND FINE. I THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG AND NOTICED VEHICLE LOSING POWER. I PULLED VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD TO A SAFE AREA AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED APPROX 1 MILE TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION. THE INFORMATION I RELATED IN THE BEGINNING IS THE OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS FROM THE MECHANIC. I HAVE AN AFTER MARKET WARRANTY UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF REPAIRS THEY ARE FIGHTING PAYING FOR NEEDED REPAIRS, WHICH IS CAUSING ME TO INCUR A VERY LARGE FINANCIAL LOSS. MY VEHICLE WAS VERY WELL KEPT, AND ONLY HAD A LITTLE OVER 108,000 ORIGINAL MILES. ALL SERVICE RECORDS ARE KEPT. RELIGIOUSLY KEPT UP WITH TYPICAL PM SUCH AS TIRES, OIL CHANGE, BRAKES, ROTORS, ECT. ALL NON-TYPICAL PM REPAIRS WERE ALWAYS DONE AT A KIA DEALERSHIP BY A CERTIFIED KIA TECHNICIAN, AND ALWAYS REQUESTED TO CHECK VIN FOR ANY RECALLS AND WHEN FOUND HAD RECALL REPAIRS MADE. AS I STATED THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE BEHAVIOR OF THE VEHICLE IN THE YEARS, MONTHS, WEEKS, OR DAYS LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT THAT WOULD INDICATE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THIS NATURE WAS IMPENDING.