NHTSA Complaint #11341239 — 2015 KIA SOUL

WE PURCHASED THE 2015 KIA SOUL WITH THE 2.0 L ENGINE FOR OUR DAUGHTER. THE CAR WAS USED WHEN WE BOUGHT IT AND HAD 33,748 MILES. MY DAUGHTER HAD DRIVEN IT TO A SHOPPING AREA AND PARKED. WHEN SHE GOT BACK IN AND STARTED IT TO DRIVE HOME THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND AND DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE AT THE NORMAL RATE. SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME AND WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALER. THE FINDING WAS THAT THE CONNECTOR ROD BEARING HAD HEATED UP AND WAS CAUSING THE KNOCKING DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. WE HAD TWO OIL CHANGES COMPLETED ON THIS VEHICLE AND A THIRD OIL CHANGE WAS SCHEDULED TO HAPPEN A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THE ENGINE ISSUE OCCURRED. THE CAR WAS ONLY AT 49,554 MILES WHEN THE ENGINE ISSUE HAPPENED. OUR OIL CHANGES WERE WITH THE SYNTHETIC BLEND OIL AT A KIA DEALER. THE KIA DEALER IS NOW SAYING THAT THE ENGINE WILL LIKELY NEED REPLACED AND OF COURSE IT IS NOW OUT OF THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY AND WE ARE WAITING FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ADJUSTER TO LOOK AT IT AND MAKE A DETERMINATION. IN READING OTHER POSTS, AN INITIAL RECALL FOR THE 1.6 L ENGINE WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER THE SAME TYPE OF ENGINE FAILURE SEEMS TO ALSO BE OCCURRING IN THE 2.0 L ENGINES AS DESCRIBED IN THE MANY POSTS THAT ARE LISTED. THOSE POSTS DESCRIBE THE SAME ISSUE THAT WE ENCOUNTERED (SUDDEN KNOCKING NOISE/ENGINE NEEDING REPLACED, CONNECTOR ROD/BEARING ISSUE). IT ALSO APPEARS THAT KIA AND/OR THE THIRD PARTY INSURANCE PROVIDERS ARE NOT WILLING TO RECTIFY OR STAND BEHIND THE REPAIRS OF THESE EVEN AS SIMILAR ISSUES EXIST WITHIN THE RECALL OF THE 1.6 L ENGINE MODELS. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO FIRE OR INJURY AS HAS BEEN SEEN IN SOME OF THE OTHER BREAKDOWNS. HOW LONG BEFORE THE 2.0 L ENGINE IS ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST OR DOES IT REQUIRE BODILY INJURY BEFORE THIS IS ESCALATED AND THE MANUFACTURER TAKES OWNERSHIP OF THIS?