NHTSA Complaint #11207538 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

WHILE TRAVELING IN ID HEADING HOME TO UT (IN MOTION) ON AN INTERSTATE INTERCHANGE AT HWY US-20 W TO I-15 S, MY 2012 KIA SPORTAGE WITH ONLY 36,000 MILES, EXPERIENCED ENGINE POWER LOSS, THE ENGINE SEIZED WITH NO WARNING INDICATORS. I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKES. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES AND CALMING DOWN, I TRIED THE IGNITION AND IT STARTED UP AGAIN AND SINCE THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS AND I'D NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM BEFORE, I DECIDED TO PUSH ON KEEPING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF TRAFFIC AND GOING AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING SLOWLY, THE CAR STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND SO I EXITED IMMEDIATELY AT THE NEAREST POCATELLO EXIT, TO FIND A KIA DEALERSHIP. NOW THE CAR WAS MAKING AN AWFUL SQUEALING NOISE ALONG WITH THE KNOCKING. I WAS ABLE TO PUTTER TO THE POCATELLO KIA DEALER AND HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR SO THEY COULD RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. I THEN HAD TO FIND A RIDE BACK TO SALT LAKE. THE RESULT WAS "ROD FAILURE" ACCORDING TO THE TEST AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I BUY A MOTOR FOR APPROX $7000 AND DID NOT DISCLOSE THEY COULD START A SERVICE TICKET WITH THE TEST RESULT, SO ONE WEEK LATER A FRIEND HELPED ME TRAILER THE KIA BACK TO SALT LAKE, WE LEFT IT AT OUR FAMILY MECHANIC'S SHOP WHOM WE'VE USED FOR OTHER CARS AND STARTED THE SEARCH FOR A LESS EXPENSIVE ENGINE. HAD A JEGS ENGINE SHIPPED BUT JEGS SENT THE WRONG ENGINE AND NOW SAY THERE ARE NO ENGINES THAT WILL WORK FOR MY KIA. ONE MONTH LATER I STILL HAVE NO CAR, NO ENGINE AND AM RACKING UP RENTAL CAR CHARGES AND IT LOOKS LIKE MY ONLY OPTION IS TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. FEELING A LITTLE VIOLATED BECAUSE I TOOK GREAT CARE OF THAT KIA. I CAN PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION UPON REQUEST, IF YOU FEEL IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.