NHTSA Complaint #11208649 — 2012 KIA FORTE

GOOD AFTERNOON. I WANTED TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION AND THE SEVERITY OF THIS ISSUE. IN THE MONTH OF JUNE 2018 MY EXPECTING WIFE IN HER 2012 KIA FORTE WAS ON HER WAY HOME ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR WITH NO SIGNS LEADING UP TO THIS DECIDED TO DIE UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A CERTIFIED DEALER TO HAVE DIAGNOSES OF WHAT HAPPENED THE CONCLUSION WAS THE ENGINE'S CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS SEIZED. MUCH LIKE THE KIA AND HYUNDAI RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME FAILURE FOR MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION CARS ARE IMPACTED. I EXPRESSED HOW THIS COULD BE DUE TO CAR HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT AND ALL THE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED REGULARLY. THE WIFE PURCHASED THIS CAR USED FROM A WELL KNOWN DEALER ONLY A YEAR AGO AND ADDED 12,000 ON THE ODOMETER. I CONTACTED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOSSED AROUND WITH NO ANSWERS. AFTER MORE THAN A MONTH KIA CORP CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT NO HELP WOULD BE GIVEN ON REPLACEMENT OF A ENGINE. I EXPRESSED HOW DANGEROUS THIS SITUATION WAS WHEN YOUR VEHICLE'S ENGINE JUST SEIZES AND HOW CLOSE MY WIFE AND UNBORN CHILD WAS ALMOST IN A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. THERE WAS ZERO CARES GIVEN. I SPOKE WITH A KIA REPRESENTATIVE AFTER REVIEW FROM A MANAGER AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ANY ASSISTANCE DUE TO, AND I QUOTE " BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT OWNED A PRIOR KIA PRODUCT AND YOU ARE NOT CONSIDERED A LOYAL CUSTOMER AND DUE TO THAT CONCLUSION THAT IS THE REASON AND CONCLUSION FOR MAKING THE DECISION". I WAS TO UPSET AND EXPRESSED MY FRUSTRATION AND STILL NO RESOLUTION. THE CAR IS STILL INOPERABLE TILL I EXHAUST ALL PATHS AND MAKE SURE MY EXPERIENCE DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANY OTHERS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND KIA DOES NOT WANT TO OWN UP TO IT. THEY ARE SWEEPING THIS ISSUE UNDER A RUG TILL SOMEBODY REALLY GETS HURT OR WORST. I WANT KAI TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS ISSUE AND MAKE IT RIGHT NOT JUST FOR ME BUT OTHERS HAVING THIS ISSUE.