2017 Kia Sedona

On [XXX], while driving my 2017 Kia Sedona on a road trip through Killeen, Texas, the engine suddenly began making a loud knocking noise without any prior warning, leading to catastrophic engine failure and complete loss of motive power. The vehicle became inoperable and was towed to University Kia in Waco, Texas. The day prior, on [XXX], the vehicle underwent a thorough pre-trip inspection and full synthetic oil change at Sun Auto Tire & Service (5117 Golden Triangle Blvd., Keller, TX 76244), confirming it was roadworthy with no issues detected initially, though oil was found leaking afterward (maintenance records attached). University Kia confirmed the catastrophic engine failure, likely related to the 3.3L Lambda engine's known oil pressure switch (OPS) defects, as the OPS had been previously replaced under warranty. Kia Motors America (Case [XXX]) denied liability unless I pay $3,000 for a teardown inspection to prove the failure was due to the OPS, despite the vehicle's eligibility under the WTY026 extended warranty (15 years/150,000 miles). This failure aligns with similar complaints and NHTSA investigations into 3.3L Lambda engine issues, such as oil starvation and sudden seizures. Due to the failure, we missed a prepaid hotel stay in San Antonio, incurred additional hotel stay charges as our trip had to be extended, and incurred costs for a rental vehicle to complete the trip. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine stared clattering at the end of a 2 hour drive home. Engine died entering a round about 1-1/2 miles from home. It restarted and limped to my home. Arranged to have it towed to mechanic shop. They informed me there is issues with rod bearings and that Kia has a class action suite but Kia is telling me that my vin is not involved.

Without warning lights coming on my engine started knocking on May 15, 2025. Turns out the bearing between the top of the motor and the bottom of the motor is stripped. 5 months before this happened they replaced the 2 fuel pumps, cvvt, cam shaft sensor and assembly, timing chain and spark plugs. Again I had no warning about that work that the dealership said I needed. Now I need a new motor and they won’t do anything for me except charge over $10,000.

I heard a knocking sound in my car which I thought was coming from the engine towards the end of May. It was really bad on May 29, 2025, so I did not drive it again. I called my local dealership and scheduled an appointment for June 2, 2025. The vehicle had to be towed from my house to the dealership as it did not seem safe to drive. The battery had died when I tried to start it, so I called AAA for a tow. They were able to jump start the car, but I still did not feel safe driving it with the loud knocking noise. I had AAA tow my car to the dealership. This is what they found: LOWER ENGINE KNOCK, METAL IN THE OIL, LOWER ROD BEARING FAILURE. No lights were on at the time the severe knocking occurred. How and why was my VIN not included in the recall notice on the engines? This was clearly a safety hazard. This problem SHOULD BE COVERED by the engine recall. Now I have to get a new vehicle with extremely limited funds.

On [XXX] my family and I were on our way to Oklahoma. Luckily we were on a highway instead of interstate when our Kia motor blew. There were no oil warning lights illuminated, nothing. My husband luckily was able to steer the van to the side of the road safely. My vehicle had to be towed and when codes were run on it by the oil changers, NO CODES POPPED UP and there were metal shaving in my oil filter. My husband contacted the dealer, they said the only issue they could find was not a recall, but an extended warranty for an oil pressure switch, but that with it not working it "would not make an engine blow." However, another mechanic said it absolutely would. This van does have the 3.3 engine that has been recalled in other models, but not the 2017. We had to rent a UHAUL to have my van pulled by another vehicle. In the picture you can see all the oil which was lost. How was our safety at risk? We had to pull on the side of the road on a main highway (not interstate), but there wasn't much room between the road side and our vehicle, not to mention the traffic right behind us who could have parked in our trunk when the failure occurred. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)