NHTSA Complaint #11595358 — 2016 KIA SEDONA

KIA SEDONAS HAVE KNOWN HEADGASKET ENGINE COOLANT LEAK ISSUE THAT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE AND IS DANGEROUS. ENGINE COOLANT LEAK HAD BEEN CONFIRMED BY SMELL INITIALLY, AS WELL AS WHITE SMOKE, LOW COOLANT IN RESERVOIR. THEN TOOK TO 2 SEPARATE MECHANICS WHO BOTH VERIFIED ENGINE COOLANT LEAK. FIRST SAID DID NOT FIX THESE. THE 2ND MECHANIC REFUSED TO FIX DUE TO DIFFICULTY REMOVING THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE TO REPAIR, WOULD NOT TOUCH IT. GOT LETTER IN THE MAIL FROM KIA DIRECTLY SAYING "WARRANTY EXTENSION ON 2015-2016 KIA SEDONAS WITH ENGINE COOLANT LEAK" "TAKE TO DEALER IF ABOVE SYMPTOMS, AND WILL BE DIAGNOSED AT NO COST, FIXED AT NO COST ETC"... KIA OF ASHEVILLE, NC DEALER, WANTED MONEY TO DIAGNOSE DESPITE SHOWING LETTER. PAID THEM. THEY VERIFIED ENGINE COOLANT LEAK W RELATIONSHIP TO HEADGASKETS. NOW WANTS APPROX $1000 TO "LOOK INTO IT MORE" AND KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT SUPPORTING DEALER TO FIX THIS KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2015-2016 KIA SEDONAS REGARDING COOLANT LEAK. MY ENGINE COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE OR SEIZED IF I HAD NOT BEEN SO CAREFUL WITH IT AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED DRIVING. I HAVE EVIDENCE VERIFYING THIS FROM INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AS WELL AS KIA. THERE IS A SERIOUS RISK OF DEATH OF DRIVING THESE VEHICLES, WHERE A MAJOR RECALL NEEDS TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT COOLANT, LOOSE HEADGASKETS, ENGINES OVERHEAT AND GET DESTROYED AND MINE HAPPENED SUDDENLY, AND LUCKILY I WAS NOT ON THE INTERSTATE. WELCH AUTOMOTIVE FRANKLIN NC WAS THE FIRST MECHANIC TO DIAGNOSE, THEN STAMEY PERFROMANCE FRANKLIN NC WAS THE SECOND ONE TO CONFIRM, PARAMOUNT KIA ASHEVILLE NC WAS THE MOST RECENT ONE WHO STILL HAS IT AND NOW IS TRYING TO GIVE IT BACK WITHOUT FIXING..... ODDLY ENOUGH THEY RECALLED THE 2015-2016 SORENTOS WITH THE SAME MOTOR AND ISSUES, BUT NOT SEDONAS...... I CAN ADD DIAGNOSIS FROM WELCH AND STAMEY PERFORMANCE AS WELL IF NEEDED, BUT THIS IS KIA SAYING THE HEADGASKET COOLANT LEAK FROM THEIR OWN MECHANIC. ALSO HAVE MORE EVIDENCE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS. THANK YOU!!