NHTSA Complaint #11183544 — 2013 KIA SORENTO

I PREVIOUSLY HAD NO ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE, BESIDES AN AIRBAG LIGHT THAT REPEATEDLY TURNED ON FOR NO REASON. I FOLLOWED RECOMMENDED SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND HAD RECENTLY HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND FULL DIAGNOSTIC. A WEEK AGO, WHILE DRIVING, MY ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN SPUTTERING THEN DIED. I PULLED OVER, LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND FOUND NOTHING VISIBLY AMISS. THEN I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR AND IT STARTED BACK UP. THEN AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE AND MY ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. I DROVE ANOTHER 20 MINUTES, PARKED THE VEHICLE OVER NIGHT AND STARTED IT UP THE NEXT MORNING. ALTHOUGH IT CONTINUED TO CLICK THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE CLICKING GREW MORE INSISTENT THAN THERE WAS A LOUD "SNAP" NOISE AND MY ENGINE DIED. I TOWED THE CAR TO MY REPAIR SHOP, THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN WAIPAHU, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND WAS IRREPARABLE. THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG BUT THEY ASSURED ME THAT REGARDLESS OF MY DILIGENT MAINTENANCE THE VEHICLE WAS BEYOND REASONABLE REPAIR.