NHTSA Complaint #11121265 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY GOING 70 MPH MY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A WEIRD NOISE. AT FIRST IT SOUNDED LIKE MY CAR WAS DRAGGING SOMETHING. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE THE ENGINE WENT OUT. PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THEN CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THERE WAS NO SMOKE AND FLUIDS WERE GOOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKED GOOD. BUT AS I TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR AFTER 20 MINS THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE POPCORN POPPING. AT THAT POINT I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE TOW TRUCK GUY ASKED IF HE COULD CHECK THE OIL. WHEN HE DID HE FOUND SMALL METAL SHAVINGS IN IT. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP (WHICH IS NOWHERE NEAR WHERE I CURRENTLY LIVE). TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT I JUST SERVICED MY CAR FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND NOTHING WAS WRONG AT THAT TIME. I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT UP WITH MY FACTORY MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES ON TIME AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM. NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY OTHER ISSUES WITH MY CAR. WHEN I CALLED A KIA REPRESENTATIVE THE NEXT DAY THEY SAID MY VIN HAS NO RECALLS FOR THE SC147. IT ONLY COVERED THE 2011-2013 KIA SPORTAGE 2.0L ENGINE NOT THE 2.4L ENGINE THAT I HAVE. MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. READING THROUGH OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT SIMILAR ISSUES IT SOUNDS LIKE NOT ONLY SHOULD KIA BE RECALLING THE 2.0L ENGINE BUT ALSO THE 2.4L ENGINE. JUST BECAUSE THE 2.0L AND 2.4L ENGINES ARE BUILT BY TWO MANUFACTURERS AT TWO DIFFERENT FACILITIES DOESN'T MEAN CUSTOMERS WITH THE 2.4L ENGINE SHOULD BE IGNORED. KIA NEEDS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP AND DO SOME INVESTIGATION WITH THE FACILITY THAT BUILT THE 2.4L ENGINE. THE 2.0L AND 2.4L ENGINES ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TODAY TO GET STATUS AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO ETA AT THIS TIME BECAUSE KIA HAS THE ENGINE BACKLOGGED. SO RIGHT NOW I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN I WILL BE GETTING MY CAR BACK. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING.