NHTSA Complaint #11301266 — 2013 KIA FORTE

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHEN I NOTICED A TAPPING SOUND AS I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP LIGHT. I PULLED OVER TO CHECK UNDER THE HOOD, BUT COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. I CHECK ALL MY FLUID LEVELS AND EVERYTHING WAS PERFECTLY FINE. I SHUT THE HOOD AND STARTED IT BACK UP. THE TAPPING WAS STILL THERE. I DECIDED TO TURN BACK AND HEAD HOME. AS I STARTED TO ACCELERATE THIS TIME THE SOUND GREW TO A HARD POUNDING NOISE. BEFORE I COULD EVEN PULL OFF THE ROAD MY CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. I LOST ALL POWER AND MY WHEEL LOCKED UP. I TRIED TO START IT AGAIN, NOTHING. I HAD TO TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND AFTER A FEW HOURS IT WAS DECLARED AS "CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE". KEEP IN MIND THE CAR HAS ONLY 61,000 MILES ON IT! AT THIS POINT I HADN'T TOWED TO KIA FOR INSPECTION AND THEY DETERMINED "COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE". "SOMETHING HAS COME LOOSE INTERNALLY". THIS ENGINE IS A OBVIOUS DEFECT.