NHTSA Complaint #11414321 — 2016 KIA SOUL

A FEW MONTHS AGO CAR INTERMITTENTLY STARTED BUCKING AS IF WATERY FUEL OR FUEL DEPLETION WAS OCCURRING ACCOMPANIED WITH A LOUD SOUND AS OF GRINDING METAL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR A SHORT WHILE AND THEN GO OFF AGAIN. BRAKING AND SLOWING WOULD TEMPORARILY STOP IT UNTIL IT RECURRED. WITH TIME THOSE EPISODES GREW MORE FREQUENT. I CONSULTED MARTIN KIA OF BOWLING GREEN, KY FROM WHOM I BOUGHT THE CAR WHOSE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SEEMED TO OFFER NO SUGGESTION AS TO THE DEFECT. TWO AUTOZONE STORES TESTED THE ENGINE, ONE WITH WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OFF AND ANOTHER WITH IT ON, AND BOTH TESTS AGREED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS MALFUNCTIONING. TESTS AT THE ABOVE KIA DEALER CONFIRMED THAT FINDING AND REPLACED THE CONVERTER AT A TOTAL COST OF ALMOST $1300.00 SAYING ITS 98000 MILES WAS OUT OF EMISSIONS WARRANTY. PROBLEM IS, THE INTERMITTENT BUCKING AND GRINDING PERSISTS. ONLINE I THEN READ THAT THIS IS LIKELY A RECALL CASE ALREADY RECEIVING 147 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND THAT SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAD BEEN FINALLY TOTALLY DESTROYED BY AN ENGINE FIRES. IT HAS BECOME A FEARFUL THING TO DRIVE IT WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE. WHAT IS YOUR ADVISED COURSE FOE A REMEDY?