NHTSA Complaint #11266824 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

2012 KIA SPORTAGE EX PURCHASED JUNE 2019 WITH 69,974 MILES. THE ENGINE SEIZED UP SEPTEMBER 2019 WITH 72466 WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH NO WARNING AT ALL; NO DASH LIGHTS, NO TEMPERATURE GAUGE RISING - NOTHING. ALL THAT WAS HEARD WAS A COUPLE RAPPING SOUNDS AND THEN A BIG THUD COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. AFTER WE STRUGGLED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING REAR-ENDED, WE TRIED TO RESTART IT AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NO FIRE STARTED. FLUID LEVELS FINE (RADIATOR FULL; OIL FULL - THE CAR HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN 2492 MILES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. DIAGNOSIS OF A SEIZED ENGINE WAS CONFIRMED BY A MECHANIC. THE KIA DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $6700 FOR A USED REPLACEMENT ENGINE WITH 109,000 MILES. ANOTHER LOCAL MECHANIC QUOTED ROUGHLY THE SAME FOR ANOTHER HIGH MILEAGE ENGINE. THIS SOLUTION IS A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW CONSIDERING MY ENGINE ONLY HAD 72466 MILES ON IT WHEN IT DIED. WHOSE TO SAY THAT THE OLDER ENGINE WOULDN'T FAIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT FOR VARIOUS HYUNDAI/KIA VEHICLES WITH THE SAME BASE ENGINE AS MINE (2.4 L) MADE IN THE 2010-2014 TIME FRAME HAD A RECALL DUE TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE/SEIZED BEARINGS. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RECALLED VEHICLES AND MINE IS SIMPLY THE FUEL/AIR INJECTION SYSTEM (GDI VERSUS MY NATURALLY ASPIRATED MPI). SINCE THE SEIZING ISSUE INVOLVES THE CORE MECHANICAL COMPONENTS OF THE ENGINE AND NOT THE PERIPHERAL PLUMBING, AND GIVEN THE HIGH NUMBER OF REPORTED INCIDENTS TO THE NHTSA ALONG WITH SEVERAL NEW CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS, I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MY ENGINE IS COVERED UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE FIRST RECALLS OF THE GDI ENGINE. HOWEVER THAT DOESN'T HELP PAY MY CURRENT MONTHLY CAR PAYMENT WHILE THE CAR SITS IN THE DRIVEWAY.