NHTSA Complaint #11310688 — 2013 KIA SORENTO

FEB12, 2020MORNING, MY SON AND HIS GIRLFRIEND WERE DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK. HE CALLED ME AND SAID THE CAR HAD STALLED OUT AND WON'T START. I ASKED ALL THE QUESTIONS RELATED TO AN ALTERNATOR ISSUE LIKE DID RADIO TURN OFF LIGHTS GET DIM . NO WAS RESPONSE, SAID CAR WOULD SURGE INCREASING SPEED THEN IF TOOK FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR WOULD DRASTICALLY SLOW DOWN. WHEN APPROACHING STOPLIGHT JUST CUT OFF. NO WARNING NO LIGHTS, WOULDN'T START. THANKFULLY THE TRAFFIC WASN'T HEAVY AND A NICE PERSON HELPED THEM GET IT OFF THE ROAD. HAD IT TOWED HOME THEN TO THE MECHANIC FOR WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS ALTERNATOR ONLY TO GET DISTURBING CALL SAYING THE MOTOR IS SHOT. I HAD THE SAME TOW TRUCK DRIVER PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT TO MECHANIC AND HE KEPT ASKING IF I WAS SURE IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR, HE HAD TOLD ME HE THOUGHT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED BY HOW IT SOUNDED WHEN HE TRIED TO START IT TO TRY AND POSITION IT BETTER FOR THE ROLL BACK, I HAD HOPE HE WAS WRONG.THERE WERE REGULAR OIL CHANGES DONE AND I HAVE CHECKED MY VIN AGAINST THE RECALL AND ALTHOUGH THE YEAR AND MAKE ARE CORRECT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. I OPERATE A CLEANING SERVICE AND DESPERATELY NEED MY CAR. IN FACT WE WERE SEARCHING FOR MY SON A CAR AS HE HAD GRADUATED AND BECAME EMPLOYED AND NOW INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR ONE WE'VE GOT TO GET TWO. AND STILL MAKE PYMTS ON THIS ONE TO SAVE MY CREDIT. IT'S REALLY SAD THAT KIA IS DOING VALUABLE CUSTOMERS LIKE THIS. PEOPLE NEED THEIR CARS. LAST YEAR I TRIED TO TRADE IT IN THEY OFFERED SUCH A LOW VALUE FOR MINE I CAN'T HELP BUT BELIEVE THEY KNEW IT'S A PROBLEM CAR. THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM, I HAVE READ SO MANY ISSUES WITH THIS YEAR AND MAKE AND KIA IS NOT OFFERING ASSISTANCE. I'M GOING TO TRY THEM AND HOPE AND PRAY THEY WILL HELP.