NHTSA Complaint #11183480 — 2014 KIA SOUL

BOUGHT A USED 2014 KIA SOUL IN 12/2015 WITH 34,000 AND PUT ON 17,400 MILES TO DATE.APPROX. 12/27/18 HEARD A VERY SLIGHT KNOCKING, TAPPING NOISE (HAD TO TURN THE ACCESSORIES OFF TO HEAR IT) AND CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL (WHICH WAS FINE-JUST HAD IT CHANGED). NO LOSS OF POWER, NO SMOKING, AND NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THE WEATHER WAS COLD (WINTER IN THE NORTHEAST) SO I ASSUMED THE NOISE WAS A COLD ENGINE AND THE NOISE WAS HARDLY AUDIBLE AS THE CAR WARMED UP. IT EVENTUALLY GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER AND GOT FASTER AS I ACCELERATED (STILL NO LOSS OF POWER, ETC. I STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR MIDDLE OF JANUARY 2019 AND PARKED IT IN MY DRIVEWAY.(I WAS AFRAID I WOULD DO MORE DAMAGE) AND HAD IT TOWED TO A KIA DEALER TO HAVE THEM ASSESS THE NOISE. ON 1/29/19 THE DEALER CALLED ME AT WORK AND TOLD ME "YOU NEED A NEW ENGINE"....AND ALSO TOLD ME SHE SPOKE TO SERVICE DEPT. AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY 5 WEEKS (APPROX.).I'VE SUBMITTED ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO DATE (DONE BY MANUFACTURER'S DATES/ONLY OIL CHANGES/ DID NOT NEED ANY MECHANICAL REPAIRS). I'VE CONTACTED KIA HEADQUARTERS APPROX. 16 TIMES AND NO ONE HAS RETURNED ANY CALLS. LAST TIME I SPOKE TO THEM THEY ARE IN THE 'WAITING STAGE' TO SEE WHAT DECISION CAN BE MADE AS FAR AS ?? REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE. THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO PAY FOR IT. (THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT SOMETHING I DID TO THE CAR). MEANWHILE MY VEHICLE IS SITTING ON THE BACK LOT OF THE DEALER. KEEP IN MIND I'VE ONLY PUT ON 17,400 MILES IN 3 YEARS.......PLEASE ADDRESS IF YOU CAN. THANK YOU! (I DO HAVE ALL THE INVOICES, MAINTENANCE RECORDS, BUT CANNOT SCAN AT THIS TIME)