NHTSA Complaint #11309307 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

ONE WEEK AFTER AN OIL CHANGE, I WAS (30 MILES AWAY FROM HOME) DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 55MPH. I FELT A VIBRATION BEGIN. I TURNED OFF THE HEATER AND TURNED OFF THE STEREO. IMMEDIATELY I HEARD A HORRIFIC METALLIC BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR CEL ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE STALLED AS I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND I HAD TO TRY TO PULL IT SAFELY TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. I WAS ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE TO A BUSINESS, SO I TRIED TO START THE CAR TO GET IT SAFELY OFF THE ROADWAY. IT TRIED TO START, BUT MADE AN EXTREMELY LOUD "KA-THUNK" SOUND AND THEN STARTED SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I TURNED OFF THE FLASHERS, CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK AND A RIDE HOME. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC NEAR MY HOME AND CALLED FOR A RIDE FOR MYSELF. ONCE I ARRIVED HOME, I CALLED KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT. THEY PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER AND STATED THAT I WOULD NOW NEED MY CAR TO BE TOWED TO A KIA DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE KIA DEALER DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A LOANER VEHICLES, SO I AM WAITING UNTIL MONDAY TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED IN HOPES I CAN ACQUIRE A VEHICLE AT THAT TIME UNTIL THEY ARE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF KIA IS GOING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. IN THE INTERIM, MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DID A QUICK INSPECTION AND STATED THERE ARE METAL SHAVINGS IN MY OIL AND IT APPEARS AS THOUGH MY ENGINE "BLEW A ROD." MY VIN DOESN'T MEET THE RECALL CRITERIA, BUT RATHER THE PI1803 BULLETIN. 2013 KIA OPTIMA SXL; I'M THE SECOND OWNER. IT'S BEEN BABIED, APPROPRIATE OIL CHANGES, 93K MILES.