NHTSA Complaint #11361696 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

WHILE DRIVING ON THE I-10 FREEWAY IN PHOENIX, MY ENGINE SEIZED UP. ALL INSTRUMENT LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE DIED WHILE DRIVING APPROX 65MPH. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD TO WAIT OVER AN HOUR IN 106 DEGREE HEAT WITH A HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK COULD ARRIVE. THE KIA DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE DIED. THIS EXACT PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED WITH KIA IN 2017 UNDER A RECALL OF OVER 600 THOUSAND VEHICLES ACROSS THEIR LINEUP INCLUDING THE SPORTAGE OF THIS EXACT MANUFACTURING YEAR. IN 2019, KIA EXPANDED THE VEHICLES COVERED TO AVOID A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. BUT I WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL OR THE KIA ENGINE SETTLEMENT. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAD 94000 MILES ON IT AND I PERFORMED ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE TIMELY. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND APPARENTLY THE 10 YEAR OR 100K WARRANTY ALSO DOESN'T APPLY TO ME. I WORKED IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FOR YEARS. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT ALL OF THESE ENGINES ARE MADE WITH DOZENS OF SHARED COMPONENTS TO KEEP COSTS DOWN DURING MANUFACTURING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR VIN IS. HAD IT BEEN MY 15-YEAR-OLD SON, LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE TO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. HE WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE THAT DAY OR CAUSED A MASSIVE ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY. IT IS SHAMEFUL THAT KIA WON'T HELP CUSTOMERS LIKE ME WHEN THEY KNOW THESE ENGINES ARE ALL DEFECTIVE. DOES IT TAKE MULTIPLE DEATHS FROM CAR ACCIDENTS BEFORE KIA WILL ACT ON BEHALF OF THEIR CUSTOMERS? DO THE RIGHT THING KIA!