NHTSA Complaint #11241604 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID SLOWED DOWN TO 45MPH AND ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE NOISES. THIS CAME WITH NO MECHANICAL WARNING, NO "CHECK ENGINE SOON" OR OTHER WARNING LIGHTS, AND HAD BEEN DRIVING PERFECTLY BEFORE IT WAS PARKED. CHECKED OIL AND OIL LEVEL WAS PERFECT. CALLED MECHANIC AND HE ASKED ME TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT OIL. OIL HAD SMALL SHINY METAL SHAVINGS ON STICK THAT TRANSFERRED TO FINGERS WHEN RUBBED. HAD CAR TOWED OVER 30 MILES TO NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP. CAR WAS DIAGNOSED WITH "ENGINE FAILURE" DUE TO ROD END BEARINGS. I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF THIS CAR THE I BOUGHT FROM A MASTER MECHANIC AT A LEXUS DEALERSHIP. WE ARE VERY METICULOUS AND TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF OUR VEHICLES. THIS IS NOT A OWNER PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP WANTS $10,000 FOR A NEW MOTOR, $4,000 FOR A USED (ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NONE CURRENTLY B/C THERE IS A SHORTAGE), OR $6,000 TO REBUILD CURRENT MOTOR. SERVICE MANAGER WAS "SURPRISED" TO HEAR ABOUT THE METAL FLAKES AS THEY DIDN'T SEE THAT DURING THE DIAGNOSES. BOTH KIA DEALER AND KIA CORP ARE STANDING BEHIND THE NO RECALL ON HYBRIDS. SAID ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE IS THE SAME, THEY WERE MADE IN DIFFERENT FACTORIES, BUT COULD HAVE SHARED THE SAME PARTS. SERVICE MANAGER STATED, "YOU HAVE A LOT OF MILES ON THIS CAR"......146K.......I MEAN, IF I CAN NOT TRUST TO GET 150K OUT OF A KIA WHY WOULD I EVER WANT TO PURCHASE ONE AGAIN??? I ASKED HIM TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN AND HIS RESPONSE WAS, "IT IS A MECHANICAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT". KIA NEEDS TO STOP PUTTING BLAME ON ITS OWNERS AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR FAULTILY ENGINES FOR THE HYBRIDS AS THEY HAVE ON THE NON-HYBRID MODELS. THERE ARE TOO MANY OTHER COMPLAINS HAVING THE SAME RESULTS AND STORIES FOR THIS TO BE AN OWNER PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN A MONTH NOW, AND NO ONE IS BUDGING.