NHTSA Complaint #11396787 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

ON 1/28/2020 AT 8 PM DURING A SNOW STORM, I HAD BEEN DRIVING NORTH ON HWY 41 AND HAD ENTERED THE CITY OF MARINETTE AND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR. I MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO A CITY STREET AND SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NO NOTHING. I MANAGED TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED WITHOUT SUCCESS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED KIA AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT CONSIDER ASSISTING ME WITH ANY REPAIRS UNLESS THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER. I PAID $200 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES TO DORSCH FORD IN GREEN BAY WISCONSIN, THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED UP AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE FOR APPROXIMATELY $10,000 AS THE WARRANTY HAD RECENTLY EXPIRED. I CONTACTED KIA AGAIN TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SAFETY RECALL (SC147) THAT I HAD LEARNED ABOUT ONLINE WHERE THE 2012 KIA SORENTO WAS EXPERIENCING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A MACHINING ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE DURING MANUFACTURING THAT CAUSED BEARINGS TO WEAR RESULTING IN ENGINE SEIZURE. I WAS ADVISED THIS RECALL WAS ONLY FOR THE 4 CYLINDER MODELS NOT THE 6 CYLINDER WHICH IS WHAT I PURCHASED. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER OFFERED ME $100 TO JUNK IT. I PAID APPROXIMATELY $30,000 FOR THE CAR AND IT WAS SERVICED DILIGENTLY AT THE DEALER. MY LOCAL MECHANIC SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ENGINE WITH A USED ENGINE WITH MORE THAN 100,000 MILES ON IT FOR $5000 FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE BUT WAS ADVISED I WOULD ONLY HAVE A 90 DAY WARRANTY AND THE SAME THING COULD HAPPEN. I DID NOT THINK THIS WAS A VERY GOOD IDEA SO THE VEHICLE IS SITTING IN MY GARAGE.