NHTSA Complaint #11413193 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

I HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE INTO KIA ON 02/22/21 TO HAVE THE ENGINE LOOKED AT BECAUSE IT IS KNOCKING, AND I AM EXPERIENCING LOSS OF POWER, BURNING SMELLS, JERKING, STALLING, HAVING TO ADD OIL IN MY SUV WEEKLY. WE ALREADY REPLACED THE VALVE COVER GASKET TWICE, AND ALSO THE HIGH FUEL RAIL SENSOR, SPARK PLUGS PRIOR TO TAKING IT BACK TO THEM. WE HAD A CERTIFIED MECHANIC DO THE REPAIRS FOR US. MY SUV WAS AT KIA A TOTAL OF 45 DAYS THOUGH AND I GOT MAYBE FOUR PHONE CALLS, ONE THEY JUST TOLD ME I NEED A NEW ENGINE AND THE ISSUES ARE RELATED TO ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE RECALL. THE OTHERS WERE ABOUT THE AIRBAG RECALLS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, AND ARE NOT EVEN FULLY COMPLETE. I WAS TOLD BY A GENTLEMAN NAMED DAVID TO DRIVE IT WHEN I GET IT BACK UNTIL IT SEIZES OR STARTS KNOCKING, WHATEVER COMES FIRST. I TOLD THEM EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WHEN I TOOK IT IN SO THEY KNOW. I WAS TOLD UNDER KIA GUIDELINES THAT KIA WOULD NOT PUT A NEW ENGINE IN MY VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH MY ENGINE IS PART OF THE RECALL UNTIL SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS. THAT IS NOT SAFE! I HAVE CHILDREN AND I DON'T WANT TO GET HURT OR MY CHILDREN TO GET HURT IF IT SEIZES WHILE DRIVING IT, AND THEN THERE IS THE FIRE RISK WITH IT ALSO THAT I RECEIVED A LETTER FOR. I AM REALLY CONCERNED AND FRUSTRATED. IT WONT EVEN PASS SMOG RIGHT NOW UNTIL IT HAS A NEW ENGINE AND I CANNOT EVEN GET MY TAGS AND REGISTRATION WHICH I PAID FOR UNTIL IT PASSES SMOG. HERE I AM ALSO PAYING A CAR PAYMENT MONTHLY ON THIS THING WHEN CLEARLY THE ENGINE IS FAILING BECAUSE IT IS A BAD ENGINE. ALL I DID WAS DRIVE IT AROUND TOWN TAKING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL AND BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. I FILED TWO COMPLAINTS TO KIA REGARDING THESE ISSUES AND HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY RESPONSES, THEY HAVE TREATED ME LIKE CRAP. WHEN I PICKED UP MY SUV IT WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF GAS, IT HAS NO OIL IN IT, IT WAS DIRTY AND MY BRAND NEW BATTERY WAS DEAD.