NHTSA complaint: 2012 KIA SPORTAGE — ENGINE
I HAD BEEN HEARING A STRANGE NOISE WHEN PUSHING THE BRAKES SINCE AUGUST 2018, I HAD A LAY PERSON LOOK AT IT WHO STATED IT WAS THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. I TOOK IT TO KIA AS I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY FOR 20 MORE MILES AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T THE BEARINGS AND THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH THE CAR. ON FEB. 20, 2019, 6 MONTHS LATER, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY SON ON THE HIGHWAY AND STARTED TO HEAR A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD UNDER THE HOOD AND THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED TO FALTER. I TRIED ACCELERATING AND THE KNOCKING INCREASED AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH WENT ON AND THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN FALLING. I HURRIED TO GET OVER AND OFF THE HIGHWAY AS THE SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL WAS ENGULFING THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IT COMPLETELY DIED AS I ROLLED TO A STOP WITH SMOKE POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I TOWED IT TO KIA WHO SAID THEY WOULD DO A DIAGNOSTIC FOR $145. THE TOW DRIVER GAVE ME A LEMON SIZED CHUNK OF METAL STATING IT LOOKED LIKE A PIECE OF THE OIL PAN AS THE FLATBED WAS COVERED IN OIL. I HAD TO CALL KIA THE NEXT DAY TO GET A DIAGNOSIS. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T DO ONE BECAUSE JUST FROM LOOKING AT THE HOLE IN THE OIL PAN, THEY COULD TELL IT HAD BLOWN AN ENGINE ROD. I WAS INFORMED THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A RECALL EVENT BECAUSE MY VIN WAS NOT RECALLED THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation