NHTSA Complaint #11425704 — 2014 KIA OPTIMA

The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated while his mother-in-law was driving 65 mph, she heard an abnormal loud clinking sound coming from the engine and the vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled. Several unknown warning lights along with the check engine warning light were illuminated. The contact stated as he opened the hood of the vehicle to determine the cause of the failure, he noticed the engine pistons had fractured and there was a hole in the engine. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, then to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) as it was out of warranty. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.