2018 Kia Cadenza Problems

Complete engine failure due to rods and bearings (same as all other Kia engine recalls currently active). Ironically my car wasn’t included in the recall. Also I’ve noticed that Hyundai has extended the warranty for this same engine in the 2018 Santa Fe basically acknowledging it has a problem but didn’t include the 2018 Kia cadenza which has the EXACT SAME ENGINE. Now I have engine failure prematurely and they are trying to deny repairs. Also was never notified of the KSDS “upgrade” before engine failed only after and it had been to a Kia dealer for fuel pipe repair just recently in which they could have installed it before engine failure.

No prior issues/light on dashboard as the car was just serviced for coolant hose replacement. On my way home from work, the car stalled and loss power at the light. The signs were giving engine failure due to losing power then a clicking/ticking noise. After pulling over and giving the car a break I tried to restart it, at that point the noise had change from the clicking to a weird knocking noise. I had the car towed to my trusted mechanic shop. He advised me that the engine indeed did fail and that it would need to be replaced. Verbatim he said: “The diagnosis is that the noise is an internal engine failure, rod bearing and connecting rods.” This was a major safety concern because the engine could have caught fire during that short drive I had home risking my life and surrounding vehicles. Aware of the Kia engine recalls already, I called Kia just for them to tell me it’s not on their recall list so it’s going to be an out of pocket repair. I asked if there was a way for it to be included in the engine recall as an exception due to low mileage (technically early engine failure) and the customer service rep was rude and condescending about how it’s not Kia’s problem.

The airbag light randomly came on 2 weeks ago and stayed on , indicating that the airbags would not deploy in the event of an accident. I called my mechanic, who confirmed it was not a warranty item. My car only has about 45,000 miles on it and is well maintained. it has never been in an accident. I dropped my car off with my mechanic, who is waiting on the needed part, but noticed after I dropped it off that other Kia models have been subject to a recall for this same issue. My guess is that not a lot of people purchased Kia Cadenzas, so maybe this flew under the radar. I am looking at a repair bill in excess of $2,000 because of the cost of the part and the time it takes to access and diagnose the problem. Kia must be aware of this.