NHTSA Complaint #11326726 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA

RECENTLY WHEN DRIVING I'VE HEARD A PRONOUNCED "KNOCKING" NOISE COMING FROM MY 2012 KIA OPTIMA ENGINE. THIS HAPPENS ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BUT CAN ALSO BE HEARD AT LOWER SPEEDS AS WELL. I WAS AWARE OF A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM AND AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT HAD BEEN PLACED ON MY ENGINE BECAUSE OF IT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A KIA SERVICE CENTER FOR THEM TO RUN THE AUDIO TEST REQUIRED BY THE RECALL. ALTHOUGH THEY ADMITTED THAT THE KNOCKING WAS COMING FROM THE ISSUE STATED IN THE RECALL, THEY SAID IT WAS STILL "IN SPEC" AND IT WAS NOT LOUD ENOUGH YET TO WARRANT REPLACING THE ENGINE FREE OF CHARGE. THEY ALSO MENTIONED TO BRING IN THE CAR AGAIN IF IT GOT WORSE. JUST A FEW DAYS LATER DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE KNOCKING WAS SO LOUD I COULD NOT HEAR MY RADIO. MY WIFE AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR AND I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE I WILL BE ABLE TO SELL IT IN THIS CONDITION. IF KIA IS ADMITTING FAULT WITH THE ENGINE ISSUE, WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR? IS THIS SAFE? IF THEY ARE WAITING FOR IT TO FAIL BEFORE REPLACING IT, I COULD HAVE MY ENGINE SEIZE ON THE HIGHWAY OR CATCH FIRE BASED ON WHAT THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS TARGETED AT. *TR