NHTSA Complaint #11406745 — 2015 KIA SOUL

RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION DATED JANUARY 25, 2021 REFERENCING A POTENTIAL OF AN ENGINE FIRE. THE NOTICE INDICATED TWO MIL LIGHTS, CHECK ENGINE AND OIL. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN ILLUMINATING THESE LIGHTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS. HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NEVER STAY ILLUMINATED; CONTINUED TO TURN ON AND OFF. VISITED THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP, SUSSMAN KIA OF ROSLYN, PA. INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A LEAKY OIL PAN. PART WAS ORDERED. SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR MARCH 24. INFORMED PRIOR TO PICKING IT UP THAT THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCHED HAD TO BE REPLACED. KIA WAS ONLY COVERING THE OIL PAN. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE OIL AND THE PRESSURE SWITCH. AT NO TIME, WAS I INFORMED OF ANY POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, ON APRIL 3, DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED. I ALMOST WAS RAMMED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. ON APRIL 6, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAM AND ENGINE TIMING WERE THE ISSUES. THE ENGINE HAS TO BE COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED. CONTACTED SUSSMAN KIA AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD ONLY DO WHAT KIA CORPORATION INSTRUCTED, THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DATA IN THE COMPUTER, AND THAT THE ENGINE PROBABLY BECAME DAMAGED BY THE LOST OF OIL. SUSSMAN KIA RELINQUISHED MY VEHICLE BEING AWARE THAT THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM. AGAIN, I WAS DRIVING ON THE I-476 HIGHWAY. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. KIA IS ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE, NOT LIVES THAT COULD BE IMPACTED BY THEIR NEGLIGENCE. KIA MANUFACTURES VEHICLES THAT ARE CLEARLY UNSAFE AND THEN CONTINUES WITH POOR MAINTENANCE EVEN WITH THEIR OWN RECALLS. THEY "TIES" THEIR OWN DEALERSHIP HANDS IN REPAIRS; LIMITING WHAT KIA WILL PAY FOR UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO PAY FOR AN OIL PRESSURE SWITCH THAT ACTUALLY WAS FAULTY.