NHTSA Complaint #11144292 — 2014 KIA SORENTO

MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE GEORGIA PLANT BUT WAS NOT PART OF THE 2 PREVIOUS RECALLS, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MANUFACTURED THAT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE IT HAS THE LAMBDA 3.3L V6 ENGINE. AFTER ALL THE TROUBLES I HAVE HAD WITH THE VEHICLE, LOCKS DONT UNLOCK, ENGINE IS FAILING, AND NOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VALVES. A VALVE CAN BE HEARD TAPPING IN MY CARS ENGINE, IT SOUNDS AND FEELS (VIBRATIONS CAN BE FELT BY HAND) THAT IT IS ALMOST CERTAINLY IN BANK 2 (TOWARDS FRONT OF CAR) ALMOST DIRECTLY BELOW/BEHIND THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. NOW HYPOTHETICALLY IF I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE VALVE DROPPED, CONSEQUENTLY PUNCHING A WHOLE IN THE CYLINDER HEAD, FORCING OIL THROUGH THE WHOLE, AND IGNITING IT, I WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULDNT TAKE MORE THAN A FEW MOMENTS FOR THE FLAMES TO CATCH THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND VERY SHORTLY AFTER ENGULFING THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND VEHICLE IN FLAMES. I AM ALSO SURE THEIR ARE LIKELY MANY OTHER SCENARIOS THAT ARE POSSIBLE, BUT WITH ALL THE ENGINE PROBLEMS MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAVING WHILE STILL UNDER 80K MILES. THIS ONE SEEMS PRETTY TERRIFYING TO ME, ESPECIALLY WITH 3 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE BACK WITH DOORS THAT DONT UNLOCK! AND OF COURSE KIA IS TOO BUSY TRYING TO TWIST THE SITUATION AND BLAME CONSUMERS TO EVEN C OI NSIDER DOING THE RIGHT THING AND STANDING BEHIND THEIR OWN PRODUCTS. I HAVE HARDLY DRIVEN MY VEHICLE AT ALL SINCE THE ENGINE STARTED FAILING IN JUNE, AND I BELIEVE IT HAS ALWAYS HAD THIS NOISE (DEALERSHIP HAD INSISTED IT WAS THE GDI NORMAL NOISE WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE)TO LAST WEEK O HAPPENED TO NJ PRICE THE NK OISE GETTING LOUDER AND ASKED A MECHANIC WHAT IS COULD BE. THAT MECHANIC STATED IT DEFINATELY SOUNDED LIKE A VALVE.