NHTSA Complaint #11343204 — 2011 KIA OPTIMA

THE THETA 2.4GDI ENGINE WAS REPLACED IN MY 2011 KIA OPTIMA MAY 2019, AFTER A TOTAL ENGINE SEIZURE THAT LEFT ME STRANDED AT AN INTERSECTION IN ALBUQUERQUE NM. IT HAS STARTED TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PATTERN OF MALFUNCTIONING IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS, SPORADICALLY, FIRST WHILE DRIVING AND ANOTHER TIME WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, PRONOUNCED MALFUNCTIONING. I AM DUMBFOUNDED THAT KIA STATES THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AS I HAVE PROVIDED VIDEOS OF THE NOISES FOR THEIR REVIEW!! THEY THEMSELVES WRITE IN ARTICLES THAT THEY PREFER TO REPAIR BEFORE TOTAL ENGINE SEIZURE. HOWEVER, I TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO PITRE KIA, WHERE THE ENGINE WAS ORIGINALLY REPLACED AND NOW THEY SAY THE ENGINE WARRANTY WAS 12 MONTHS, EVEN THOUGH THEIR LITERATURE STATES DIFFERENTLY. WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO FOLLOW THAT ADVISE, THEY COMPLETELY SWITCH TO TOTAL RUDENESS AND GO AS FAR AS LAUGHING AT YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN OVER THE VEHICLE THAT YOU PAID FOR AND WHICH ULTIMATELY PAYS THEIR SALARY!! I JUST WANT TO HAVE FAITH IN MY VEHICLE THAT IT WILL NOT LEAVE ME STRANDED. I AM RESTRICTED, AT THIS TIME, FROM GOING OUT OF TOWN. I DO NOT TRUST MY VEHICLE TO TAKE ME ANYWHERE, MUCH LESS MAKE THE NECESSARY TRIPS TO SANTA FE (56 MILES AWAY) DUE TO THE FEAR OF GETTING STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, I AM A 64 YEARS OLD DISABLED FEMALE AND THOUGHT I HAD PURCHASED A RELIABLE VEHICLE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IS THE FARTHEST FROM THE TRUTH. NOW THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES AND SUPERVISORS ARE IN TOTAL DENIAL OF THEIR FAULTY EQUIPMENT AND THEN PROCEED TO BE RUDE! THEY CAN LIE ALL THEY WANT, BUT THEY DO KNOW OF THE LAWSUITS OVER THEIR FAULTY ENGINES!! THEY ARE JUST BEING TOLD BY THE GREEDY CORPORATE HEADS NOT TO COMPLY WITH REPAIRS.