NHTSA Complaint #11241352 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

JULY 2016, WHILE HWY DRIVING MY 2012 KIA SORENTO (V6) (@69,000 MILEAGE) THE CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED & SMOLDERED (POLICE CALLED FIRE DEPT). CAR WAS INOPERABLE, TOWED TO SHOP & THEN TO KIA DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THAT RADIATOR CAP MELTED & THEY FOUND "METAL IN COOLANT & THE ENGINE" (AS NOTED ON THE KIA DEALERHSHIP DOCUMENTATION). HE SAID HE NEVER SAW SUCH A THING. DEALER SAID ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE OF THE METAL FOUND IN ENGINE & METAL LIKELY CAUSED OVERHEATING WHICH MELTED RAD CAP. KIA DEALER INSTALLED NEW RADIATOR & A USED ENGINE (W/43K MILEAGE), COSTING ME $14,000. THE CAR HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE AND RECENTLY 7/2019, @122K MILES AGAIN SMOLDERED & LOST POWER. RADIATOR CAP AGAIN "MELTED" REQUIRING A 3RD RADIATOR REPLACEMENT. GAUGES/DASH SHOWED NO INDICATION OF CAR OVERHEATING. I FEAR PROBLEM IS RECURRING WITH 2ND ENGINE (SAME DEFECT). LEARNED OF 2012 SORENTO RECALLS FOR EXACT ISSUES (METAL IN ENGINE, OVERHEATING/FIRE, KNOCKING & POWER LOSS). KIA DEALER (8/2019) INFORMED ME ONLY 4 CYL UNITS WERE RECALLED FOR METAL IN ENGINE & MY 6 CYL UNIT WITH THE SAME ENGINE-METAL ISSUES WAS NOT COVERED BY KIA RECALL. I ASKED IF ANYTHING RELATED TO CAR USE OR MAINTENANCE WOULD HAVE CAUSED METAL TO CONTAMINATE AN ENGINE; DEALER SAID NO, PROBLEM IS UNRELATED TO CAR USE OR MAINTENANCE AND A MFG PROBLEM WAS THE ONLY WAY THE METAL WOULD SHOW UP IT. BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE 6 CYL MODELS REPAIR COSTS WERE MINE. THEY REFUSED TO CONTACT KIA. MY VEHICLE HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS THE 4 CYL MODELS & IT'S A UNIQUE DEFECT KNOWN ON NUMEROUS KIA MODELS. KIA DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED MY IMPECCABLE PM & SERVICE REORD. THEY ADMIT THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE DUE TO VEHICLE CARE OR USE, & KNOW THE PROBLEMS W/ MY 6 CYL ARE IDENTICAL TO 4CYLS. I BELIEVE KIA MAY BE UNDERREPORTING THE PROBLEM & FAILED DUE DILIGENCE TO IDENTIFY SAME DEFECTS IN 6 CYL MODELS.