NHTSA Complaint #11246343 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

ON AUG 2ND I WAS DRIVING THRU UTAH ON MY WAY TO TN. I CAR STARTING HAVING SOME SPUTTERING/HESITATION ISSUES WHEN GOING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. I THERE WAS NO WARRING ON MY INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. ALL ELECTRONICS (AC, RADIO, ETC) WERE WORKING FINE. I CONTINUED ON AND SHORTLY THERE AFTER MY CAR STARTED NOT ACCELERATING AT ALL WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR FREEWAY. I HAD NO POWER AT ALL. STILL NO WARRING ON THE PANEL. I MANAGED TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY AND BARELY MADE IT TO A SIDE STREET NEAR A GAS STATION. I WAS ALMOST HIT DUE TO THE FACT I COULDN'T ACCELERATE MY CAR. I PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF THE CAR BY A MECHANIC REVELED THAT I HAD A BLOWN MOTOR. I GOT IT TOWED FROM THE MECH SHOP TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND BEGAN WORKING WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS. AT PRESENT I AM BEING TOLD THAT THIS IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE AND NOT PART OF KIA'S MOTOR ISSUES. HOWEVER I ALWAYS GET MY OIL CHANGED WITH FULL SYNTHETIC OIL AND A KIA OIL FILTER. THIS IS DONE ABOUT EVERY 5K MILES. ADDITIONALLY I HAD KIA DO THE 90K MILE RECOMMENDED SERVICE ON THE CAR. THIS IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE AND SO FAR KIA HAS REFUSED TO FIX OR ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR POOR MANUFACTURING OF THIS TURBO GDI MOTOR.