NHTSA Complaint #11405411 — 2015 KIA SPORTAGE

ON 12/24/18 MY 2015 KIA SPORTAGE ENGINE SEIZED AS I WAS ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT IT COULD TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE THEY GOT A NEW ENGINE. I DID NOT GET MY CAR UNTIL MID AUGUST OF 2019. WHEN I GOT MY CAR BACK IT WAS CONSUMING A LOT OF GAS. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE HIGH FUEL CONSUMPTION UNTIL I TOOK MY CAR ON A ROAD TRIP ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I GOT MY CAR AND IT WAS ONLY GIVING ME ONLY ABOUT 200 MILES FOR A FULL TANK OF GAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE ISSUE, BUT THEY ONLY ASKED WHY I HAD WAITED SO LONG. I TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT APPARENT TO ME BECAUSE I WAS ONLY DRIVING MY CAR FOR ERRANDS. THEY WOULD NOT CHECK MY CAR AS IT WAS NOT THROWING ANY ERRORS. I CONTINUED COMPLAINING AND THEY FINALLY DID A DIAGNOSTIC AFTER WHICH THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE OXYGEN SENSORS. I HAD THE OXYGEN SENSORS REPLACED, BUT CAR CONTINUED TO CONSUME TOO MUCH GAS. A FEW MONTHS LATER I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR "HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PIPE MAY LEAK". I TOOK THE TO THE CAR TO THE DEALER AROUND LATE MAY OR EARLY JUNE OF 2021 AND THEY CONDUCTED THE RECALL REPAIRS. I WAS ALSO REIMBURSED FOR MY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES FOR REPLACING OXYGEN SENSORS. AFTER THE RECALL REPAIRS, MY CAR STILL CONTINUED TO CONSUME TOO MUCH GAS. TOWARDS THE END OF FEBRUARY 2021 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I STARTED SMELLING EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE MY CAR. THE DEALER DID A DIAGNOSTIC ON 3/8/21 AND TOLD ME THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED, BUT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. MY CAR JUST REACHED 103K MILES AND HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES SINCE THE ENGINE SEIZED AND WAS REPLACED. I'M ON A FIXED INCOME AND CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND NOW I HAVE A CAR I CAN'T DRIVE BECAUSE IT HAS LOST POWER AND SMELLS OF EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE MY CAR.