NHTSA Complaint #11329154 — 2011 KIA SORENTO

ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO KIA. STAFF STARTED ENGINE AND SAID IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE WITHOUT LOOKING AT IT FURTHER. TOOK ELSEWHERE FOR A SECOND OPINION. KNOCK SUBSIDED SOME AFTER ADDING ADDITIONAL ENGINE OIL (NO HISTORY OF LEAKS OR OIL USE). ENGINE THEN THREW A ROD THROUGH THE OIL PAN AS THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROX 40 MILES PER HOUR ON A 4 LANE STREET. .FORTUNATELY, MY 17 YEAR OLD SON WAS ABLE TO REACT TO THE TOTAL ENGINE/POWER LOSS AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET THE VEHICLE PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A TURN LANE. KIA ACKNOWLEDGES THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING MANY IDENTICAL ISSUES WITH VARIOUS ENGINES, BUT THIS SPECIFIC ENGINE WASN'T INCLUDED UNDER THE RECALL. SEEMS VERY STRANGE THAT THIS ENGINE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES AS OTHER KIA ENGINES, BUT THIS SPECIFIC ENGINE ISN'T COVERED... KIA IS AGREEING TO COVER APPROXIMATELY 1/2 OF THE ESTIMATED $6,000 REPAIR BILL. ENGINE HAD APPROX 120,000 MILES ON IT. *TR