NHTSA Complaint #11375854 — 2015 KIA SEDONA

OUR 2015 KIA SECOND MINIVAN OVERHEATED REPEATEDLY IN 2020 FOR UNKNOWN REASONS RESULTING IN A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE AND COMPLETE LOSS OF VALUE. AFTER LEAVING A HIGHWAY, THE MINIVAN OVERHEATED, RESULTING IN A BLINKING ENGINE LIGHT. IT WAS QUICKLY PARKED AND LATER DRIVEN TO A MECHANIC, WHO COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A PERIOD OF OPERATION AT NORMAL TEMPERATURES, IT BEGAN TO MISFIRE. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED PRIOR TO OR DURING THESE MISFIRES. NONETHELESS, WE HAD THE STARTER COILS REPLACED BASED ON A REPAIR CODE. AFTER ANOTHER PERIOD OF NORMAL OPERATION, IT AGAIN BEGAN TO MISFIRE AND OVERHEATED WITHOUT TRIGGERING ANY WARNING LIGHTS. WE DROVE IT IMMEDIATELY TO OUR MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. A KIA DEALER TO WHICH WE TOWED THE CAR CONFIRMED THIS ASSESSMENT AND REPORTED IT NEEDED A $6K NEW ENGINE THAT WOULD COST $3K TO INSTALL. (NEITHER WE NOR OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COULD LOCATE A USED ENGINE FOR LESS THAN $4K.) IN ITS CURRENT STATE, THE DEALER ESTIMATES THAT THE 5 YEAR OLD MINIVAN'S TRADE-IN VALUE IS $500. KIA REGIONAL IS UNABLE TO CONFIRM THAT A REPLACEMENT ENGINE IS AVAILABLE AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE REPORTED THAT IT IS REMANUFACTURING THESE ENGINES AND MAY NEED TO WAIT FOR PARTS TO BE CREATED AND SHIPPED FROM SOUTH KOREA. THE 2015 SEDONA ENGINE IS OF THE SAME TYPE (KIA LAMBDA II 3.3L V6 GASOLINE DIRECT INJECTION) INCLUDED IN VEHICLES THAT WERE THE SUBJECT OF THE RECENT ENGINE FIRE LAWSUIT (ANDREA SMOLEK V. HYUNDAI MOTORS AMERICA AND KIA MOTORS AMERICA). HOWEVER, THE SEDONA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT OF THAT CASE OR THE RELATED RECALL.