NHTSA Complaint #11297880 — 2014 KIA FORTE

IN OCTOBER 2019 I BEGAN EXPERIENCING ENGINE ISSUES AND ON 11/16/19 I HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENGINE OF MY 5 DOOR 2014 KIA FORTE AT NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD FM528 IN FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS. I HAD TO TOW THE VEHICLE 3 TIMES AT THE COST OF APPROX. $80 PER TOW AND SPENT AN ADDITIONAL $186 TO HAVE IT EVALUATED BY A MECHANIC. WE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ONLINE AND DISCOVERED A NUMBER OF VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING "PISTON FLAP" WHICH IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OF THE CYLINDERS. EVEN THOUGH MY ENGINE IS WARRANTED FOR 100K MILES AND THE MILEAGE WAS AT 88K, KIA MOTORS REFUSED TO COVER THE ADDITIONAL TOWING EXPENSE TO GET IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP (GAY FAMILY KIA IN DICKINSON, TX) FOR INSPECTION. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY PRIMARY TRANSPORTATION SINCE THAT TIME. TODAY, 1/7/2020 THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE ENGINE WOULD BE "REPAIRED" NOT COMPLETELY REPLACED. DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME KIA DENIED ME A LOANER CAR. AS A SINGLE MOM, (WHICH DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE) WE HAD TO TAKE MY COLLEGE STUDENT SON'S 1999 TRUCK TO VISIT MY FAMILY 2 HOURS AWAY AND IT HAD AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND HAD AN ADDITIONAL TOW BECAUSE OF NO LOANER CAR. ON 12/27 I HAD KNEE SURGERY AND THE ONLY VEHICLE I HAD TO DRIVE WAS A 1997 MIATA THAT WAS A STANDARD. I COULD NOT DRIVE THE STANDARD DUE TO MY SURGERY AND MISSED AN ADDITIONAL 2 DAYS OF WORK. THIS ISSUE IS DANGEROUS AND PUTS CONSUMERS AT GREAT RISK OF INJURY AND CRASH ON PUBLIC ROADS. KIA HAS DONE EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO CIRCUMVENT AN ACCEPTABLE REMEDY TO THE SITUATION SO I AM NOW TURNING TO NHTSA FOR ASSISTANCE. PLEASE HELP! WILL PROVIDE WRITTEN REPORTS WHEN KIA DECIDES TO GIVE THEM TO ME. I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THE SIMPLE REPLACEMENT OF PARTS THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY FAIL ONCE THE VEHICLE PASSES 100K IN MILEAGE.