NHTSA Complaint #11384850 — 2012 KIA SPORTAGE

2012 KIA SPORTAGE LX 2.4L MPI ENGINE WITH APPROXIMATELY 120K MILES ENGINE SEIZED AT MODERATE SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE. CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED BOUGHT SECOND HAND FROM BRANDON KIA IN TAMPA, FL IN JULY 2018 WITH APPROX. 92K MILES. ENGINE SEIZED ON 14 DEC 2020. TOWED TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND ANALYZED AS REPLACE ENGINE. WE READ ABOUT THE KIA/HYUNDAI ENGINE PROBLEMS SO WENT TO LOCAL KIA DEALER TO INQUIRE. THE SERVICE REP SAID TOW IT IN AND THEY WOULD ANALYZE AND IF THE SEIZURE MET THE CONDITIONS, THEY WOULD REPLACE PER KIA GUIDANCE. SO WE DID THIS, AND WERE TOLD "SORRY, YOUR VEHICLE ISN'T COVERED." SAME RUN AROUND AS EVERYONE ELSE IS EXPERIENCING WITH KIA. KIA NEEDS TO ADMIT EVERY THETA II ENGINE THEY PRODUCED BETWEEN 2011 AND 2014 HAD A MANUFACTURING FLAW AND JUST BITE THE BULLET AND REPLACE THEM WHEN THEY FAIL. WE ARE WEIGHING OUR OPTIONS NOW, NONE OF WHICH ARE GOOD AT THIS POINT. THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT WILL COST WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH, SO IF KIA WILL NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE OR AT LEAST ABSORB SOME OF THE COST, THE CAR IS NOT WORTH REPAIRING. KIA NEEDS TO STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS. NO ENGINE SHOULD FAIL AT 120K MILES FOR CRANKCASE ISSUES, WHICH IS WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THESE THETA II ENGINES. PLEASE PUT PRESSURE ON KIA TO REPLACE THESE ENGINES, NO EXCLUSIONS!!!