NHTSA Complaint #11413101 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA
ENGINE issue reported to NHTSA
Complaint Details
| ODI Number | 11413101 |
| Vehicle | 2012 KIA OPTIMA |
| Component | ENGINE |
| Date of Incident | |
| Date Filed | |
| Mileage | 97,000 miles |
| Crash | No |
| Fire | No |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Vehicle Towed | No |
| State | PA |
Consumer Description
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND HEARD NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF CAR AND CAR THEN DECELERATED TO A STOP ON SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM HOOD AND OIL WAS ALL OVER ENGINE AND ROAD. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED BY MECHANIC AS ROD WAS THROWN THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK PUNCTURING IT DUE TO A WORN BEARING. I DID RESEARCH AND MY MODEL AND ENGINE HAS A RECALL ON THIS EXACT MATTER. RECALL # SC147. I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR IN JANUARY 2019 AND THE MANUFACTURER IS DENYING ANY REPAIR BECAUSE OF A 'PRODUCT IMPROVING CAMPAIGN' THAT WAS RELEASED FOR IT IN OCTOBER 2018 AND NEVER ADDRESSED. THAT WAS THREE MONTHS BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR. I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR AFTER. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY SITTING AT A DEALERSHIP BECAUSE WHEN I CALLED THAT DEALERSHIP THEY SAID MY CAR DOES QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT AND TO BRING IT IN, BUT I WAS NOTIFIED TODAY FROM THAT DEALERSHIP THAT KIA WILL NOT REPAIR MY VEHICLE BECAUSE OF AN E.C.U. SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WAS NEVER PERFORMED ON THE CAR IN 2011! PI1803-B IS THE CODE FOR THAT RECALL THAT WAS ALSO NEVER ADDRESSED AND WAS EIGHT YEARS BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR. I'M REALLY CONFUSED AND UPSET AS TO HOW A COMPANY CAN DENY FIXING RECALLS ON A VEHICLE THAT ARE CLEARLY SAFETY HAZARDS!!!
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