NHTSA Complaint #11240954 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

DRIVING ON A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FREEWAY ON JULY 28, 2019, THE ENGINE OF OUR 2012 KIA SPORTAGE SUDDENLY STALLED. BROUGHT IT TO THE GARDEN GROVE KIA DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND MET THEIR SERVICE ADVISOR MARTHA GUDINO. SHE PROMISED THAT THE DEALER WOULD LET US KNOW BY 2P WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. SHE DIDN'T CALL UNTIL AFTER 4P WITH BAD NEWS: A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED FOR THE PRINCELY SUM OF $9,087.60 PLUS TAX! IN HINDSIGHT, WE NOW KNOW THAT MARTHA WAS PROBABLY HUDDLING WITH MANAGEMENT ON A STRATEGY OF DISINFORMATION. NOT ONLY DID SHE NOT MENTION THAT THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK RECALL ON THIS MODEL BUT SHE SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE ONGOING CLASS ACTION SUITS, THE CAR FIRE REPORTS, AND THE 21 ENGINE COMPLAINTS LODGED ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM. WHEN WE PICKED UP THE CAR THE NEXT DAY, I, OF COURSE, MENTIONED THE CLASS ACTION SUIT FILED BY ANDREA SMOLEK AND THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS MENTIONING EXACTLY WHAT OUR SERVICE ADVISOR HAD DESCRIBED: "OIL WAS BLACK AND SLIGHT SLUDGED [SIC]. OIL CONTROL VALVE (OCV) HAD SLUDGE AND METAL SHAVINGS." THE SERVICE MANAGER ' GUDINO WAS NOWHERE IN SIGHT ' REMAINED SILENT ABOUT THE ISSUE AND JUST COLLECTED HIS $129.00 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN REFUNDED HAD WE FORKED OVER THAT $10,000 THEY WANTED FOR A NEW ENGINE. WE DIDN'T PAY AND HAD THE CAR TRANSPORTED BACK TO LAS VEGAS.