NHTSA Complaint #11413629 — 2020 KIA SOUL

THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC WHILE I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND THE ENGINE RE-STARTED. THE CAR HAD 6,595 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, AND THE FIRST SERVICE WAS DUE AT 7,500 MILES. AFTER THIS STALLING INCIDENT, IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN, EVERY TIME I HAD TO STOP AFTER THAT, AT A LIGHT OR INTERSECTION, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE NEXT DAY, DRIVING AT 25 MPH ON A CITY STREET, LOUD RATTLING AND METALLIC SOUNDS CAME FROM THE ENGINE. I CHECKED THE OIL. THERE WAS NO TRACE OF OIL ON THE DIPSTICK. I PUT IN 2 QUARTS OF OIL, AND THE DIPSTICK SHOWED THE SUMP WAS NOW FULL. I CHECKED THE TAILPIPE AND FOUND A CARBON DEPOSIT ON THE INSIDE, INDICATING THE BURNING OF OIL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT - KIRBY KIA IN VENTURA CA - AND THEY DIAGNOSED A SEVERE ENGINE MALFUNCTION WITH EVIDENCE OF METAL SHAVINGS AFTER REMOVING THE VALVE COVER, AND IN THE OIL FILTER. THEY SAID THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A COMPLIMENTARY RENTAL CAR FOR 10 DAYS, THEN A LOANER, AND RETURNED MY VEHICLE TO ME AFTER 21 DAYS. IN THE PAPERWORK THEY GAVE ME ON RETURNING MY VEHICLE IT STATES THEY INSTALLED A REMANUFACTURED LONG BLOCK ENGINE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD. AT NO POINT IN THIS WHOLE PROCEDURE WAS I ASKED TO CONSENT TO THE ENGINE BEING REPLACED, AND I SIGNED NO DOCUMENT AUTHORIZING THIS TO BE DONE. AT THE END, I WROTE THAT MY SIGNATURE ONLY INDICATED MY CAR HAD BEEN RETURNED TO ME. NO APOLOGY WAS EXPRESSED TO ME BY KIA FOR THE MAJOR INCONVENIENCE THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE IN THIS NEW CAR HAD CAUSED ME, EXCEPT WHEN I INFORMED THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DEALERSHIP OF THIS FACT, THEY CALLED ME TO EXPRESS REGRET.