NHTSA Complaint #11377435 — 2014 KIA SEDONA

WE WERE TRAVELING FROM BLOOMSBURG, PA TO MYRTLE BEACH, SC ON DECEMBER 26, 2019 AND AS WE WERE PULLING OFF THE ROAD TO FIND A GAS STATION THE ENGINE TURNED OFF/STOPPED WORKING AND WE LOST THE POWER STEERING. LUCKILY MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP IN A SAFE AREA. AT THAT TIME THE ENGINE SMOKED AND WE CHECKED ALL THE FLUIDS. THE OIL APPEARED TO BE LOW BUT NO INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON PRIOR. WE PROCEEDED TO GET OIL AND AFTER WE PUT IT IN AND TRIED TO DRIVE IT THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND SO WE DID NOT PROCEED FORWARD. WE CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TOW US TO THE CLOSEST KIA DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS KOONS OF WOODBRIDGE, VA WHICH WAS 10 MINUTES AWAY. AFTER WE GOT IT THERE THEY WERE ABLE TO START IT AND MOVE IT INTO THE GARAGE. WE TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT WE FILLED THE OIL, THAT THERE WERE NO SENSOR ALERTS BEFORE THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF. AFTER THEY LOOKED INTO THE VEHICLE THEY TOLD US THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY OIL LEAKS BUT TO DIAGNOSIS IT THEY'D HAVE TO TEAR THE ENGINE DOWN. THEY ADVISED THAT THE DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIR MIGHT BE COVERED BY KIA'S POWER TRAIN WARRANTY BUT IF ANY SLUDGE WAS FOUND IT WOULD VOID THE WARRANTY. THEY ESTIMATED THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR TO THE ENGINE TO BE $10,000 DOLLARS. THEY BELIEVED THEY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND TWO KEY PARTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. WE OPTED TO TRADE THE VEHICLE IN TO KOONS KIA IN WOODBRIDGE AND PURCHASED A 2018 SORENTO LEFT OVER DUE TO THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO DIAGNOSIS THE ENGINE FAILURE AND POSSIBLE COSTS. THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY OF OUR VACATION.