NHTSA Complaint #11196599 — 2014 KIA SOUL

THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND AT 69441 MILES ON THE 2.0 LITER ENGINE, THE ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO GET OUT AND PUSH IT TO A SAFE AREA OFF THE HIGHWAY. I HAD IT TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A SEIZED ENGINE. I CONTACTED A LOCAL KIA DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER ANY WARRANTY. THEY ONLY OFFERED A VERY HIGH ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I OPTED FOR MY MECHANIC TO INSTALL A USED REPLACEMENT ENGINE FROM AN AUTO RECYCLING COMPANY. INVOICE FOR THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE IS ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE CAME OUT OF THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL KIA SOUL WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER MILES ON IT, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN WITH THE METAL CHIP IN THE ENGINE DEFECT ISSUE RECENTLY REPORTED, SINCE I DRIVE MOSTLY HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO GET OUT AND HAVE TO PUSH THE CAR OFF A BUSY HIGHWAY!