NHTSA Complaint #11084751 — 2013 KIA SORENTO

AT 89K MILES, I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON AN INCLINE ON VACATION 700 MILES FROM HOME, I HEARD A BUNCH OF NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP AND ENGINE STALLED. I COASTED ACROSS 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND CAME TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE CLOSEST MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE ROD HAD BLOWN A HOLE IN MY ENGINE WITH NO PRIOR INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I CALLED KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS WHO TOLD ME TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A KIA DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION WHICH I DID. THE COST FOR REPAIR IS $10K , KIA STATES THAT MY 2.4L ENGINE IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL OR AFFECTED ENGINES. MY CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED BEFORE WE LEFT ON THIS TRIP. BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT KIA AND THE MECHANIC AT THE OTHER SHOP SAY THAT THIS SCENARIO IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER ENGINE FAILURES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE LOWER BLOCK IS IN FACT EXACTLY THE SAME ENGINE. HEATHER FROM KIA TOOK MY ORIGINAL CASE INFORMATION (4/04) AND SAID I WOULD HEAR BACK. TWO DAYS LATER I CALLED AGAIN AND SPOKE WITH HELENA WHO ALSO SAID SHE WOULD WORK ON IT AND CALL ME BACK. SHE ALSO SAID THIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL "YET". 7 DAYS LATER AND NO RESPONSE, I CALLED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE REP TOLD ME THAT HELENA HAD TRIED TO CALL ME AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE, SHE CLOSED MY CASE. THIS IS A COMPLETE LIE, I HAVE MY PHONE WITH ME 100% OF THE TIME AND HAVE BEEN ANXIOUSLY AWAITING A CALL. DO THEY NOT REALIZE CALLER ID IS AVAILABLE FOR A RECORDS CHECK? THEY HAVE SUPPOSEDLY REOPENED MY CASE AND I SHOULD HEAR BACK IN 48 HOURS. NO VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE AN ENGINE FAILURE AT 89K MILES. KIA MADE MONEY ON THE SALE OF ALL OF THESE VEHICLES AND NOW THEY ARE MAKING MORE MONEY ON CUSTOMERS HAVING TO BUY NEW ENGINES AT $10K? THEY WILL BE HEARING FROM AN ATTORNEY IF THIS IS NOT RESOLVED.