NHTSA Complaint #11170822 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

I'VE BEEN MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA EX SINCE I PURCHASED IN 2014 LIKE CLOCKWORK. LAST MONTH, I EXPERIENCED ALL THE DASH LIGHTS COME ON WHILE IN MOTION ON CITY ROADS AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE GAS PEDAL. I FRANTICALLY PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF THEN TRIED TO START IT, ONLY TO BE MET WITH A WEIRD SOUND AND A CLOUD OF SMOKE FROM THE HOOD. MY STARTER WAS FRIED, ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND WHEN HE CHANGED THE STARTER, THE NEW STARTER BURNED AGAIN AS WELL AS THE ENGINE LOCKED UP/SEIZED. AFTER FINDING OUT A RECALL (SC147) WAS ACTIVE AT THE TIME, I CALLED KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE AND THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE ISSUES AFTER CONFIRMING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. ONCE I PICKED MY CAR UP, I NOTICED THE CAR WAS STARTING UP IN AN ODD MANNER BUT THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. ABOUT 3-4 DAYS LATER, MY CAR DID THE EXACT SAME THING AS THE FIRST TIME (SAME SMELL, SOUND, AND SMOKE CLOUD BUT LUCKILY I WAS PARKED AT THE TIME). I ASSUMED THE STARTER WOULD BE A PART OF THE RECALL SINCE IT BROKE DOWN THE EXACT SAME TIME AS THE RECALLED ENGINE, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO KIA, WHO TOLD ME THEY WOULDN'T PAY FOR A NEW STARTER EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE RECALL CAUSED IT TO BURN UP IN THE FIRST PLACE AND IS CONSIDERED A COMPONENT OF THE ENGINE. I CONTACTED KIA CONSUMER AGAIN AND THE CASE WAS GIVEN TO AN ESCALATION MANAGER. I HAD TO SPEAK TO ABOUT 8 DIFFERENT AGENTS AND PUT AN EMAIL IN ACTION TO HER SUPERVISOR TO GET HER TO EVEN CONTACT ME ON THIS ISSUE. IT TOOK HER ALMOST A FULL MONTH TO CONTACT AND TELL ME KIA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STARTER. I'M CONFUSED AS TO WHY IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE I'VE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH MY STARTER UNTIL THE ENGINE FAILED. I AM AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT I NEED TO DO TO GET KIA TO SEE WHO IS REALLY AT FAULT. MY MECHANIC ALSO STATED THIS IS THE 1ST TIME HE'S EVER SEEN THOSE 2 PARTS BREAK SIMULTANEOUSLY.