NHTSA Complaint #11575205 — 2019 KIA SOUL

Last year my car started knocking and there was a smoldering smell. I expected Kia to consider the function of the rod knock sensor which caused P1326code. I advised capitol kia of both knocking noises and a significant burning smell. Per an extended warranty, if the rod bearings go bad, then the engine should be replaced. Capitol Kia avoided the latter and was not fully compliant with maintaining driver's safety. Only the rod knock sensor was replaced replaced, and the sensor shows bad rod bearings over and over and over ( 3 times ) Due to incompetence at Capitol Kia, Steven's Creek Kia checked on the second event and another RBCT was done to justify it's Kia's position that the rod bearings are functional. So Far, have been sent away twice, pending a now 3rd.. The sensor was replaced 3 weeks ago and I only drove the car two weeks before a new P1326 rod bearing code was shown just last week. Well knowing that the Rod Knock senor is designed to place the car into limp mode to circumvent catastrophe, it behooves the company, on behalf of consumer safety; and, integrity to NHTSA safety, to visually inspect the rod bearings to assure consumer confidence. This is especially after multiple rod knock sensor issues. Given that Rod bearing problems can cause catastrophic injury to the driver, the NHTSA needs to mandate the company to visually inspect the bearings and show the consumer pictorial evidence of a clearly unworn rod bearing per incident, after an initial knock sensor change. All evidence as such should be faithfully tracked by Kia and the NHTSA. This is especially as Kia is using a test to indicate normal functioning for bearings assumed to be among a lot of defective bearings. It follows logically that rod bearings which pass a RBCT ( Rod Bearing Clearance Test ), after a code is found, will be functioning just short of causing a catastrophic event. It should be noted that the warranty is to maintain consumer safety not to facilitate new events by default.