NHTSA Complaint #11255888 — 2015 KIA OPTIMA

NEARING 60,000 MILES, THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE A WEIRD ENGINE NOISE. THE KIA DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE CONNECTING ROD WAS BAD AND THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACED. THIS ISSUE IS VERY WELL KNOW AND WIDESPREAD. THE KIA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE COULD CATCH FIRE, SHOULD THE ENGINE BLOW. THE DEALERSHIP FELT THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURE ISSUE BUT KIA CORP. DECLINED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, WHICH IS THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE ISSUE. THE REASON GIVEN WAS THAT THE OIL WAS NOT AT THE RECOMMEND LEVEL. I HAD THE OIL CHANGED LAST SUMMER AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE OIL WAS LOW; NO SERVICE LIGHT OR OIL LEVEL LIGHT. TO AVOID PUTTING MY 6YR. OLD AT RISK, I HAD TO CHOOSE TO PAY $5500 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. THIS IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT EFFECTS MY CHILD'S DAY-TO-DAY. I HAVE ALSO COME TO LEARN THAT THE ENGINE INSTALLED IS RE-MANUFACTURED AND ONLY HAS A 12-MONTH WARRANTY. DESPITE KIA'S REASONING, THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE FAR TOO COMMON FOR HYUNDAI/KIA OWNERS, PLUS THEY HAVE ALREADY ISSUED A RECALL FOR OLDER MODELS WITH THE SAME ENGINE. AT THE VERY LEAST, THE RE-MANUFACTURED ENGINES SHOULD CARRY A LONGER WARRANTY.