NHTSA Complaint #11129409 — 2013 KIA SORENTO

WHILE DRIVING TO TUCSON FROM MESA ON INTERSTATE 10, MY ENGINE STARTED MAKING KNOCKING NOISES AND LOST POWER , THEREBY STALLING BY THE ROADSIDE. IT HAS 89,000 MILES ON AND HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES. I TOWED IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO SAID THE VEHICLE HAD SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH METAL SHAVINGS FROM THE FAILED BEARING ALL VISIBLE ON OPENING THE VALVE COVER. HE SUGGESTED I CONTACT KIA TO SEE IF THIS ENGINE WAS PART OF THE RECALL SC 0147 WHICH IS A RECALL DUE TO THIS KIND OF FAILURE FROM A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AFTER INVESTIGATING, KIA DENIED MY REQUEST STATING THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND THEREFORE COULD NOT HAVE SUFFERED THIS SAME DEFECT. THEY REFUSED TO TELL ME WHEN AND WHERE THE ENGINE WAS MANUFACTURED WAS MANUFACTURED, IN MY ATTEMPT TO LINK THE ENGINE WITH THOSE UNDER RECALL, JUST STATING IT WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I THEREFORE HAVE TO MEET THE COST OF REPLACING A WHOLE ENGINE THAT MY MECHANIC BELIEVES SUFFERED THE SAME MANUFACTURING FAILURES AS THE THE ONES RECALLED. THIS IS NOT FAIR.