NHTSA Complaint #11243052 — 2014 KIA SOUL

ON 10/22/2018, WHILE DRIVING MY 2014 KIA 2.0L GID SOUL, AT OR UNDER 60 MPH ON A PAVED HIGHWAY, MOVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE, I HEARD A CLUNK AND THE ENGINE DIED AT 128,048 MILES. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW. ALL MAINTENANCE WAS CONDUCTED AT ONLY 2 KIA DEALERSHIPS WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE PRIMARY DEALERSHIP BUT HAD TO TOWED TO STORAGE SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL I RETURNED . IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP- NOW UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP. I REQUESTED A DIAGNOSIS OF THE ENGINE FAILURE BUT IT WAS NOT DONE, REASON UNKNOWN, SO I ORDERED AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP APRIL 10 TO JUNE 25, 2019, AT WHICH TIME I TURNED IN MY RENTAL CAR AND PAID FOR THE ENGINE- AGAIN, NOT RECEIVING A REPORT AS TO WHY THE ENGINE FAILED IN A CATASTROPHIC MANNER. BETWEEN 5/22/2019 AND 7/30/2019, I ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH KIA USA BY PHONE AND EMAILS TO CONSUMER AFFAIRS. ON 7/30/2019, DURING A PHONE CONVERSATION, REPRESENTATIVE BRANDON OFFERED A REIMBURSEMENT OF $750 FOR RENTAL AND TOWING FEES IN LIEU OF DISCUSSING SOMETHING REASONABLE TO THE COSTS TOTALING $8,193.43. HE WAS TO CALL ME BACK ON OR ABOUT 8/02/2019 BUT HAS NOT. TODAY, 8/10/2019, I WENT TO ADD A MESSAGE TO (KIA) CASE NUMBER 13186735, ONLY TO LEARN THAT "THIS CASE HAS ALREADY BEEN CLOSED..." I BELIEVE THAT KIA IS ATTEMPTING TO AVID REIMBURSING ME FOR A LOSS NOT MY FAULT. RECORDS AND CORRESPONDENCE ARE AVAILABLE. (-END-)