NHTSA Complaint #11561111 — 2016 KIA SORENTO

On the morning of October 31st, 2022 I used my remote starter to warm the engine in my driveway for approximately 10 minutes, when I got into the car I noticed the air blowing was ice cold and when looked at the temperature gauge the needle was in the red. I allowed the engine to cool down for about an hour, checked the coolant level and found it empty. I looked all around and under the engine for signs of leaks, none were found. I purchased a gallon of coolant, topped off the system and brought the car to my local garage to check the problem. They replaced the thermostat and bled the cooling system. About a week later it started overheating again so I topped off the coolant again and took the car to the nearest Kia dealer. After keeping my car for a week they concluded that the head gaskets were leaking and the repairs would be more than the value of the car and they'd be happy to trade what's left of my car for a new Kia. I had my car towed to a reputable independent shop and ended up paying a total of $12, 274.84 for a re-manufactured engine and for labor involved in stripping down the old engine for the extended warranty who inspected the engine and denied the claim. I purchased this vehicle on 1/9/2021 with extended warranty from and authorized Kia Dealer for $20,522.78. I have since found out that this is an ongoing issue with the Kia/Huyndai V6 engines from 2016-2019. As a Mercedes-Benz employee for 30 plus years I am appalled at Kia for their unwillingness to stand by their products.