NHTSA Complaint #11267196 — 2014 KIA SORENTO

UPON INITIATING AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOPPED POSITION WHEN A LIGHT TURNED GREEN ALL THE DASH LIGHTS WENT BERSERK, THERE WAS A LOUD POP, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. THE CAR DIED AND WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED FOR A SINGLE SMALL ACCELERATION TO THE SHOULDER. THICK SMOKE THEN ENGULFED THEN ENGULFED THE HOOD AND CONTINUED FOR 15 MINS. UPON BEING TOWED, THE MECHANICS CONFIRMED ALL FLUID LEVELS WERE NORMAL HOWEVER THE ENGINE IS FULLY SEIZED, UNABLE TO BE CRANKED BY HAND. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED. IN FACT, THE DEALERSHIP OWNER'S NEIGHBOR HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS EXCEPTIONALLY MAINTAINED. UNDER MY OWNERSHIP ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE VISITS HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE OIL CHANGED APPROXIMATELY EVERY 5,00 MILES. IN APRIL 2018 A KNOCKING SOUND WAS PRESENT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON RESULTING IN THE DEALERSHIP REPLACING THE CVT CONTROL VALVE, VALVE-OIL CONTROL, CVVT, GASKET OUTLET AND ROCKER COVERS, O-RING, BOLT FLANGES, AND MORE. ALL OF WHICH RELATE TO THE KNOWN (THOUGH UNDISCLOSED TO ME) ISSUES WITH THE GDI ENGINES. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY UNUSABLE WITH A SEIZED ENGINE.