NHTSA Complaint #11101574 — 2015 KIA OPTIMA

I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. I MAKE SURE TO GET REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND I AM NOT A HARSH DRIVER. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH ON A 2 LANE ROAD. THE LIGHT AHEAD TURNED YELLOW AND I SLOWED DOWN TO STOP. ONCE MY VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AT THE RED LIGHT, IT MADE A WEIRD NOISE LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF BUT DIDN'T. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I BEGAN TO PRESS THE GAS AND IT SEEMED AS IF IT WAS STALLING AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AS QUICKLY. THE ENGINE LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT AND OIL LIGHT POPPED ON SO I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY, TURNED MY CAR OFF AND WAITED ABOUT 5 MINUTES. I CRANK THE CAR BACK UP AND THE ONLY LIGHT REMAINING ON WAS THE ENGINE LIGHT AND MY CAR STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE EVERY TIME I PRESSED THE GAS. I PROCEEDED TO GO HOME AND DECIDED SINCE IT WAS A HOLIDAY I WOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. I WENT TO CRANK MY CAR UP THE NEXT MORNING AND THE KNOCKING NOISE HAD GOTTEN LOUDER. I STARTED DRIVING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT A MILE FROM MY HOME BUT IT TURNED OFF AT A RIGHT LIGHT. I WAS TOO AFRAID TO TRY AGAIN SO I CALLED AAA AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP. SINCE I WAS STILL UNDER THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY, THE ENGINE WAS APPROVED TO BE REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER, I RECEIVED MY VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE WAS VERY SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED BEING THAT I HAVE HAD ZERO OTHER PROBLEMS NOR DID ANY HAZARD LIGHTS APPEAR ON MY DASH BEFOREHAND. MY VIN WAS CHECKED FOR ENGINE RECALLS AND DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ON THE LIST.