NHTSA Complaint #11268490 — 2014 KIA SOUL

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2014 KIA SOUL PLUS ON A HIGHWAY THE CAR STARTED MAKING A LOUD TAPPING/KNOCKING SOUND. WITHIN A HALF MILE THE SOUND BECAME MUCH LOUDER AND WORSE. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. WE PULLED OFF AN EXIT. WE CHECKED THE OIL. NOTHING REGISTERED ON DIPSTICK. WE PUT 2 QUARTS IN AND IT REGISTERED. WHEN OIL CAP WAS REMOVED IT WAS STEAMING/SMOKING AND THERE WAS BURNT OIL ON CAP. AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE AND IDLING FOR A FEW MINUTES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON. IT WAS NOW AFTER 9:00PM SO NOTHING WAS OPEN. WE HAD TO SPEND THE NIGHT AS WE WERE STRANDED OUT OF STATE. THE NEXT MORNING WE GOT THE CAR TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALERSHIP. WE WERE TOLD THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND WE'D NEED A NEW ENGINE. IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD AND HAD 68288 MILES ON IT. WE HAD NO GOOD CHOICE BUT TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR AND TRADE THE BLOWN ENGINE AS WE WERE STRANDED OUT OF STATE. (WE WERE QUOTED AROUND $6,000+ AND A COUPLE WEEKS FOR A NEW ENGINE.) THE ENGINE OIL HAD BEEN CHECKED AND TOPPED OFF BEFORE LEAVING ON THIS TRIP. WE PUT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES ON THE CAR ON THIS TRIP. I HAVE RECEIPTS. OUR CARS 2.0 ENGINE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECENT RECALL. HOWEVER THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CAR AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. WE WERE VERY FRIGHTENED AND EXTREMELY FORTUNATE WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY AND THERE WAS NO ENGINE FIRE.