NHTSA Complaint #11182285 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT BEGAN KNOCKING. IT WAS PULLED OVER ALMOST IMMEDIATELY (WITHIN A MILE). OIL WAS CHECKED AND ALTHOUGH IT HAD REGULAR SERVICE, IT REGISTERED LOW. AFTER ABOUT A HALF A QUART OF OIL WAS ADDED, THE OIL REGISTERED AT PROPER LEVEL. WHEN TRYING TO RE-START THE ENGINE IT FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND WOULD NEED A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. PRICE QUOTED WAS $15,000! THEY CLAIMED THIS WAS DUE TO THE ENGINE NEEDING TO BE REPLACED WITH A SMALLER BLOCK (THEY DON'T MAKE THE 3.5 L ANYMORE) AND THE MODIFICATIONS THAT IT NEEDED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED, HAD 125,054 MILES ON IT AND HAD NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE INITIAL KNOCKING THAT OCCURRED ON THAT DAY.