NHTSA Complaint #11144819 — 2011 KIA FORTE

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT ROUGHLY 65 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL. ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A VERY LOUD BANG, TACHOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO, OIL STARTED SPRAYING ALL OVER FROM UNDERNEATH CAR. I MANAGED TO COAST THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND FOUND A FIST-SIZED HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. SHARDS OF METAL AND OIL WERE ALL OVER THE ROAD, CREATING A HAZARD. EVEN THOUGH THIS ISSUE IS THE SAME AS OTHER KIA VEHICLES WITH THE SAME 2.4L THETA ENGINE, ACCORDING TO KIA, MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL OF THOSE ENGINES. KIA CLAIMS THAT BECAUSE THE FUEL SYSTEM IN MY CAR IS NOT "GDI", IT IS NOT INCLUDED. EVEN THOUGH, BY KIA'S OWN ADMISSION, THE ISSUE IS DUE TO CRANKSHAFT ISSUES, WHICH HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE AND THE RECALLED ENGINES SHARE THE SAME CRANKSHAFT,AND THE SAME OEM PART NUMBER, EVEN. YET, SOMEHOW BECAUSE THE FUEL SYSTEM IS NOT "GDI", MY ENGINE ISN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. KIA NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND INCLUDE FORTE 2.4L NON-GDI ENGINES IN THE RECALL AS WELL. MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING NOW FOR OVER A YEAR WAITING FOR AN ENGINE.