NHTSA Complaint #11160635 — 2007 KIA OPTIMA

MY KIA OPTIMA BEGAN CONSUMING LARGE AMOUNTS OF OIL BUT IT WASN'T LEAKING OUT OR BURNING OFF ANYWHERE. I BEGAN TO WATCH THE OIL LEVELS CLOSELY AND WAS DOWN 2 QTS EVERY WEEK. AT SOME POINT THE OIL PRESSURE GOT TOO LOW AND WE THINK SUCKED AIR INTO THE ENGINE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN OFF AGAIN AS IT HAS BEEN FOR THE PPAST YR BUT FOR AN EVAP PROBLEM - A VERY SMALL LEAK KEPT GETTING DETECTED. I SPENT $1800 AT FIRESTONE THE PREVIOUS UR THE COLDER KEPT COMING BACK ON AND OFF. BUT THIS DIDN'T EXPLAIN THE SIDDEN MASSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. SUDDENLY ON OCT. 21 MY CAR SUDDENLY IDLED VERY HIGH WITHOUT MOVING AND THE THE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND STAYED ON. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO KNOCK LOUDLY ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCELLERATING OR CLIMBING HILLS. MY MECHANIC FRIEND TOLD ME ONE OF THE ENGINE RODS WAS DAMAGED AND THE COMPUTER CODE CHECK VERIFIED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT TIMING OIL CONTROL VALVE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE LOW OIL PRESSURE AND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM ON KIA'S WEBSITE WITH MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE. KIA HAD A RECALL REGARDING THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY OF THEIR CARS BUT OF COURSE NOT MINE. I WAS VERY UPSET OVER IT. I HAD GOTTEN THE CAR ONLY 3 YEARS PRIOR AND IT ONLY HAD 150K MILES ON IT. I TOOK REALLY GOOD CARE OF IT. KIA SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING. MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO JUNK THE CAR AND HAVE TO BUY A NEW WHEN I WASN'T IN A POSITION TO DO SO. KIA HAS DISAPPOINTED ME GREATLY. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM I MAY NEVER BUT ANOTHER KIA. I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT GETTING MY KIA AS IT HAD ALL THE FEATURES I WANTED IN A CAR AND AT A VERY GOOD PRICE BUT IT IIS ONLY GOOD IF IT RUNS. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THW RECALL FOR MY CAR AS IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM AS I READ COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT ONLINE FROM OTHER KIA OPTIMA OWNERS. THE ENGINE COMPUTER CODE THAT CAME UP WAS PO600011