NHTSA Complaint #11578034 — 2019 KIA OPTIMA

Our 2019 Kia Optima has now stalled twice at a stop light in the past year. When it happens, we're able to restart the engine. In addition to stalling, the car struggles to start on some days and runs lumpy (minor surges in power) on other days. The symptoms match a problem Kia is aware of and for which it has provided an extended warranty (15 years/150,000 miles). Below is the wording from the extended warranty letter (2016-2020 MY Kia Optima Vehicles Low-Pressure Fuel Pump New Vehicle Limited Warranty Extension dated Sept 9, 2022): "If, at any time within the extended warranty period, you experience intermittent reduction in engine power, stalling while at idle, and/or inability or difficulty starting your engine, your authorized Kia dealership will diagnose the cause at no cost to you." When I took the car in after both incidents, the Kia dealer is not able to replicate the issue because it's an intermittent issue. There is no fault code thrown by the vehicle computer. The dealer and I have separately called Kia to get authorization to replace the low-pressure fuel pump (the most likely culprit), but Kia has denied the request because the dealer isn't able to replicate the issue. This is non-sensical given the fact that Kia in its letter admits that this problem is intermittent. I'm afraid that the next time the low-pressure fuel pump fails, it will be in a far more dangerous situation (e.g. highway) than at a stop light. I believe Kia should replace the low-pressure fuel pump for those owners who report the symptoms of a failing low-pressure fuel pump even if the failure can't be replicated at the dealer. Kia is basically saying they're not going to replace the low-pressure fuel pump until it malfunctions and stays broken which could very likely leave us stranded somewhere or worse without engine power in the middle of driving.