NHTSA Complaint #11342800 — 2018 KIA SORENTO

CURRENTLY, THERE IS AN ENGINE RECALL ON THE 2015-2018 KIA SORENTO, WHICH RESULTS IN PREMATURE ROD WEARING AND POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRES. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE, BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT, THE ENGINE NOISES (TAPPING/KNOCKING) WERE NOTICED BY A FAMILY MEMBER. IT WAS REPORTED TO KIA WITHIN THE FIRST 3,500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, WHO ADVISED ME INITIALLY THAT THE SOUNDS WERE BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS NEW AND BREAKING IN AND THAT THE SOUNDS WERE NORMAL. IN JANUARY 2019, I WAS ADVISED WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THEIR COURTESY INSPECTION THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND THEY NEEDED TO PERFORM A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE VEHICLES ECM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO TURN THE VEHICLE INTO LIMP MODE TO WARN THE DRIVER OF A POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRE BEFORE IT HAPPENS. KIA PERFORMED THE UPDATE AND THE ENGINE NOISES STILL PERSIST. THE TECHNICIAN CLAIMED HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND REPORTED THAT IT WAS PERFORMING AS INTENDED AND THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE NOISE. LATELY THE NOISES HAVE BEEN MORE FREQUENT, SO AS A SAFETY CONCERN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK INTO KIA FOR INSPECTION. NOW THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER INSTEAD OF CHECKING AND CONFIRMING THE SAFENESS OF THE VEHICLE, IS BLAMING AN AFTERMARKET OIL FILTER AND SYNTHETIC OIL AS THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE ISSUES, NOT THEIR ENGINE ISSUES THAT RECALLED THOUSANDS OF CARS AND RESULTED IN ENGINE FIRES. MOREOVER, KIA NOT ONLY REFUSES TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT AND SUPPOSEDLY OIL PRESSURE TEST THAT THEY CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMED THAT GAVE THEM THOSE RESULTS, THEY ALSO REFUSE TO CONFIRM TO WHETHER THE CAR IS SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD; ENGINE FIRES ARE REAL WHICH CAN SEVERELY INJURE OR KILL THE OCCUPANTS OF A VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER REFUSE TO ADDRESS THIS HAZARD AND IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, FOR CONSUMER SAFETY.