NHTSA Complaint #11386011 — 2013 KIA FORTE

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE I-70 MD AT 65MPH WHEN I HEARD A TICKING SOUND AND I WASNT GETTING ANY POWER. CAR WAS STRUGGLING TO MOVE WHEN ALL THE SUDDEN BANG!!!! SMOKE, PLASTIC AND METAL WENT FLYING EVERYWHERE FROM THE ENGINE BAY, RICOCHETING OFF THE ASPHALT TOWARDS THE SIDES OF MY VEHICLE AND OTHER CARS TRAILING BEHIND ME. CARS SWERVED TO AVOID THE DEBRIS FROM HITTING THEIR VEHICLES. POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND I STRUGGLED TO MOVE THE CAR OVER TO THE SHOULDER ACROSS ANOTHER LANE. I COULDVE EASILY BEEN KILLED HAD A DRIVER NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION OR LOOKING AT THEIR PHONE CROSSING LANES AS THE VEHICLE QUICKLY WAS COMING TO A STOP, INABLE TO MOVE. I SOMEHOW SAFELY GOT TO THE SHOULDER AND GOT THE CAR TOWED AT MY EXPENSE TO THE MECHANIC. CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. ROD SNAPPED AND BLEW A 2 INCH HOLE THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK AND CAR LIT ON FIRE BRIEFLY. BOUGHT A NEW (USED) THETA II ENGINE (THE SAME ENGINE RECALLED IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OTHER KIAS AND HYUNDAIS) BUT NOT FOR THE 2013 KIA KOUP WITH THE SAME ENGINE PROBLEM. $4800+ LATER, IM STILL SCARED DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AS I COULDVE EASILY BEEN SMASHED THAT DAY BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. KIA NEEDS TO RECALL EVERY SINGLE MAKE YEAR AND MODEL WITH THE THETA 2 ENGINE. HAVE NEW (USED) ENGINE RECIEPT AND ALL DOCUMENTATION PERTAINING TO THE INCIDENT.