# 2012 KIA SORENTO — ENGINE
> NHTSA complaint `1590653` · 2019-08-02 · Kia America, Inc.
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** KIA
- **Model:** SORENTO
- **Year:** 2012
- **Manufacturer:** Kia America, Inc.
- **Component:** ENGINE
- **Miles at failure:** 69,900
- **Speed:** 55 mph
## Narrative
JULY 2016, WHILE HWY DRIVING MY 2012 KIA SORENTO (V6) (@69,000 MILEAGE) THE CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED & SMOLDERED (POLICE CALLED FIRE DEPT). CAR WAS INOPERABLE, TOWED TO SHOP & THEN TO KIA DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THAT RADIATOR CAP MELTED & THEY FOUND "METAL  IN COOLANT & THE ENGINE" (AS NOTED ON THE KIA DEALERHSHIP DOCUMENTATION).  HE SAID HE NEVER SAW SUCH A THING.  DEALER SAID ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE OF THE METAL FOUND IN ENGINE & METAL LIKELY CAUSED OVERHEATING WHICH MELTED RAD CAP.  KIA DEALER INSTALLED NEW RADIATOR & A USED ENGINE (W/43K MILEAGE), COSTING ME $14,000. THE CAR HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE AND RECENTLY 7/2019, @122K MILES  AGAIN SMOLDERED & LOST POWER. RADIATOR CAP AGAIN "MELTED" REQUIRING A 3RD RADIATOR REPLACEMENT.  GAUGES/DASH SHOWED NO INDICATION OF CAR OVERHEATING.  I FEAR PROBLEM IS RECURRING WITH 2ND ENGINE (SAME DEFECT).  LEARNED OF 2012 SORENTO RECALLS FOR EXACT ISSUES (METAL IN ENGINE, OVERHEATING/FIRE, KNOCKING & POWER LOSS).   KIA DEALER (8/2019) INFORMED ME ONLY 4 CYL UNITS WERE RECALLED FOR METAL IN ENGINE & MY 6 CYL UNIT WITH THE SAME ENGINE-METAL ISSUES WAS NOT COVERED BY KIA RECALL. I ASKED IF ANYTHING RELATED TO CAR USE OR MAINTENANCE WOULD HAVE CAUSED METAL TO CONTAMINATE AN ENGINE;  DEALER SAID NO, PROBLEM IS UNRELATED TO CAR USE OR MAINTENANCE AND A MFG PROBLEM WAS THE ONLY WAY THE METAL WOULD SHOW UP  IT.  BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE 6 CYL MODELS REPAIR COSTS WERE MINE. THEY REFUSED TO CONTACT KIA.  MY VEHICLE 
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*