NHTSA Complaint #11325180 — 2015 KIA SORENTO

I WAS DRIVING MY 2015 SORENTO TO WORK, AND LOOKED DOWN TO NOTICE THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS RUNNING HOT. THEY DAY BEFORE MY AC HAD STOPPED WORKING, AND I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE FAN WAS RUNNING LONGER THAN USUAL WHEN I STOPPED THE CAR. AS SOON AS I NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS HOT, I LOOKED FOR A SPOT TO PULL OVER. I WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, SO IT TOOK ME ABOUT 2 MINUTES TO PULL OVER. IN THAT TIME THE CAR STARTING RUNNING ROUGH, AND I NOTICED A TERRIBLE ANTIFREEZE SMELL. I SHUT THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY, AND HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME I NEEDED THE ENTIRE ENGINE REPAIRED, BECAUSE THE HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED, AND THE CYLINDERS WERE WARPED. I HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS, IT HAD AROUND 70K MILES ON IT. I HAD NO INDICATION LIGHTS APPEAR TO LET ME KNOW ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I'M AMAZED MY CAR CAN TELL ME IF MY TIRES ARE LOW, AND IF I'M GOING TO SWITCH LANES IN TO SOMEONE, AND WHEN I NEED AN OIL CHANGE, BUT SHOWED NO INDICATION OF A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THIS SEEMS RIDICULOUS IN A CAR THAT IS 5 YEARS OLD. THERE ARE NO RECALLS, AND KIA WILL NOT REPAIR IT, AS I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, SO THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY DOES NOT TRANSFER TO ME. I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW ENGINE, REPAIR COST BEING 5300. I WILL NEVER BUY A KIA AGAIN. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT A CAR CAN FAIL SO BAD, AND I'M HELD ACCOUNTABLE, DESPITE BEING A RESPONSIBLE CAR OWNER. I ALSO AM UPSET THAT IT GAVE ME NO WARNING. I HOPE THIS IS LOOKED IN TO FOR OTHER OWNERS, AND AM SAD TO BE OUT 5300 DOLLARS. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND KIA TO ANYONE, OR BUY ANY KIA EVER AGAIN. *TR