NHTSA Complaint #11221268 — 2013 KIA SORENTO

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WE ACCELERATED TO APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AFTER ENTERING THE INTERSTATE ON AN ON-RAMP. WITHIN ABOUT 1 MILE, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH NO WARNING/TICKING/KNOCKING, AND GAUGE/WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. WE COASTED TO AN EXIT RAMP AND AFTER COMING TO A STOP REALIZED THE ENGINE WAS STOPPED AT 0 RPM. I TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES IN ORDER TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC COMING FROM BEHIND, FOR SAFETY REASONS, BUT THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED AND WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE ADDITIONALLY CAUSE THE STARTER TO FAIL. DURING THE ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE, SMOKE CAME FROMT HE ENGINE AREA AS WELL AS THE SMELL OF BURNING METAL. I AM UNSURE IF THE SMOKE CAME FROM THE ENGINE OR STARTER. AFTER THIS TWO OTHER DRIVERS STOPPED, I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL, AND WE PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO A SAFER LOCATION. WE ARE WORKING WITH KIA TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. KIA IS STATING THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY THEIR RECALL SC147 AND THAT RECALL INSPECTION WAS ALREADY COMPLETED ON OUR VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH THE FAILURE IS SYMPTOMATIC OF THE RECALL DEFECT/ISSUE. KIA HAS STATED THAT THE ENGINE WILL BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AS PART OF A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BUT I AM WAITING FOR MORE CLARIFICATION FROM KIA. AS PART OF THE SC147 RECALL AND RELATED KIA NOTICES TO KIA DEALERS, KIA DEALERS ARE TO PROVIDE A LOANER OR ALTERNATE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION (RENTAL CAR TO CUSTOMERS). IT HAS BEEN 2.5 WEEKS SINCE THE INCIDENT AND KIA HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE A LOANER OR RENTAL VEHICLE.