NHTSA Complaint #11621138 — 2017 KIA NIRO

My Kia Niro 2017 began losing antifreeze back in January of 2024. Upon inspection by Folsom Lake KIA they determined that the EGR needed to be replaced. The dealership made the repair under my third-party warranty that I purchased when I bought the car preowned in 2020 (22,000 miles). In August 2024 the engine began to overheat triggering and engine light. The car had approximately 90,000 miles on it at the time. The antifreeze was gone, and I filled it up and took it to the dealership a few weeks later when they had an available appointment. They were not able to diagnose the issue during that visit. They said that I had to schedule a multiday appointment to get a diagnostic done. In the meantime, I was adding antifreeze every few days to keep the reservoir full. I took the car back to Folsom Lake KIA on October 14th and received a diagnostic on the 17th that the vehicle's heat exchange recover system was leaking the antifreeze into the exhaust which burns off as a white smoke. The recommendation was to replace the entire heat exchanger. I decided to do some research and found find out what exactly this part does. I discovered that it simply warms up the antifreeze faster using the engine exhaust and shuts off when the coolant temperature reaches a setpoint. After further research on the internet, it became clear to me that this is a systemic issue with these vehicles, but no recall has been made. My warranty claim was denied due to the part not being covered. When I took it to an independent shop, they said that the part was not available from anyone, but KIA and they said that there was no price listed, and you had to contact KIA for the part. KIA quoted 3,000.00 for the part and labor to replace the heat exchanger. All of this just seems very suspect. I believe KIA knows this is a systemic problem but refuse to recall the part. Instead, they are making a bundle replacing this part. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.