2015 Kia K900

Around 9/25/23, KIA service technicians confirmed that my vehicle had an engine fire rendering it inoperable. The incident appears consistent with NHTSA Recall Number 23V652: several engine compartment components melted due to the fire.¶For approximately 16 months, I persistently sought a resolution with KIA. Despite my efforts, KIA refused any corrective action & instead presented me with a $66,749.72 invoice for a new engine. This was alarming given I had purchased the most comprehensive extended warranty when acquiring the vehicle from an authorized KIA dealer (I am the original owner).¶The extended warranty company denied coverage, citing a general exclusion for overheating incidents. They classified the engine fire as overheating, voiding the warranty I had purchased for added protection. This interpretation seems inconsistent with the warranty's intent & the nature of the incident.¶The fire risk aligns with the ABS module defect described in Recall 23V652 which states an electrical short can lead to significant overcurrent, increasing engine compartment fire risk.¶My vehicle had only accumulated about 40,000 miles. I had consistently followed a rigorous maintenance schedule & exercised meticulous care in vehicle upkeep throughout the entire lifespan of the vehicle.¶This situation has left me without transportation, imposed a severe financial burden & has harmed my professional career (I am founder & director of one of the world's most renowned quantum institutes).¶Most importantly, I am deeply concerned about the safety risks to other KIA owners.¶KIA's handling of serious recalls appears consistent with their unsatisfactory treatment of me. For recall #23V652, KIA delayed warning that nearly 1 million vehicles should be indefinitely parked & operated far away from ALL flammable materials. Reports indicate injuries, fatalities & property damage from this defect. Nevertheless, KIA has yet to provide an adequate solution to this critical safety concern.

12/23/2023 my car started leaking oil. It took KIA 3 attempts to properly replace the valve cover gasket. Then my vehicle began having issues starting. They replaced my 1yr old battery, twice. The problem still occurred so they replaced crankshaft sensor. Since then, the vehicle has shut off on me completely 7 times. They have replaced the alternator now twice. The headlights flicker randomly, I lose power steering, and the vehicle will lose all power. I have to jump the car to get it started and it does not run like it did before. It lacks torque, it feels unsteady, and completely unsafe. Over the last few years the dash panel has completely melted off. I'm not a mechanic, but I believe there is either a short or and electrical issue caused by the heat of the dash. My car has been towed twice now, and is needing to be towed again for them to try to repair it, again.

The PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG will be blocked from opening correctly in the event of a front end collision. The AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS lights flash on and off with small changes in ambient light causing distractions to oncoming vehicles and also inhibiting driver's visibility in low light situations. There is another sensor that is impacted by the defect, but I'm not sure of it's function. All of these issues are caused by well known dash cover defects on k900s like mine, as well as Hyundai Equus, and other names in the US and around the world. It may affect other Kia car's as well, such as the Forte. IN SUMMARY: DASH COVER ADHESIVE AND SECUREMENT LET LOOSE AND IS IMPEDING PROPER DEPLOYMENT OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG, INTERFERING WITH PROPER FUNCTION OF HEADLIGHTS, AND COVERING DASH MOUNTED SENSORS. The defect was brought to a dealership for Goodwill consideration, as many cars have been repaired by Hyundai/Kia under goodwill warranty even before it progressed to a safety issue by covering the airbag and dash sensors. However, the District Parts and Service Manager was only concerned with my prior patronage, not with the quality nor safety of their cars. I escalated this to the 2nd level of Kia Customer service, and it was initially declined before the 2nd level representative even looked at the pictures or description of the safety defects. The 2nd level Rep reported that the DPSM would not return his calls. The 2nd level Rep had some contact with Kia engineers, but they determined that leather and/or hard plastic over the airbag opening would somehow not be a safety issue. The headlights were never discussed in Kia's "investigation." Eric, the 2nd level Rep initially encouraged me to NOT file with NHTSA because he claimed all goodwill requests were reported to NHTSA by Kia Corporation!

BACK PORTION OF THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF COMPLETELY SHATTERED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EVEN IN USE. IT WAS PARKED IN THE BACK OF OUR DRIVEWAY ALONG WITH OUR OTHER VEHICLE. IT WAS FINE ONE DAY AND WAS FOUND COMPLETELY SHATTERED THE NEXT MORNING...GOOD THING IT WASN'T RAINING OR SNOWING. IT WAS NOT HIT BY ANYTHING. I HAVE GLASS INSURANCE BUT FEEL KIA SHOULD PAY FOR THIS, NOT MY INSURANCE COMPANY, ESPECIALLY IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN IN THE FUTURE!