Kia Class Action Alleges Defect Can Cause Catastrophic Engine Failure

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Kia Motors America Inc. has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the engines in some of its vehicles have a defect that restricts oil flow to vital parts of the engine, causing vehicles to stall while in operation and experience catastrophic engine failure.

Plaintiffs Christopher Stanczak and Rose Creps filed the Kia class action lawsuit Tuesday in California federal court.

They claim certain 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter Kia Optima, Sportage and Sorento vehicles contain a defect that results in the restriction of oil flow through the connecting rod bearings and other vital engine parts, posing a safety risk to the vehicle occupants if the vehicle experiences catastrophic engine failure and stalls while in operation.

According to the Kia class action lawsuit, Kia has been aware of the restricted oil flow defect but has refused to disclose the defect or repair the issues associated with it.

“Despite notice and knowledge of the defect from the numerous complaints it has received, information from dealers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (‘NHTSA’) complaints, including durability testing, KMA has not recalled the Class Vehicles to repair the engine defect, offered its customers suitable repairs or replacements free of charge, or offered to reimburse its customers who have incurred out-of-pocket expenses to repair the defect,” the Kia class action lawsuit states.

Stanczak leased a new 2015 Kia Optima LX in October 2014, according to the Kia class action lawsuit. In August 2016, he claims he heard unusual engine noise while driving the vehicle on the highway. When he brought his vehicle to a Kia dealership to find the cause of the noise, a service technician allegedly discovered metal shavings in the engine and notified Stanczak that the engine would need to be replaced.

The dealership reportedly refused Stanczak’s request to have the engine replacement costs covered by the warranty, and Stanczak decided to get a second opinion. The next day, the vehicle engine catastrophically failed while he was merging onto a highway, the Kia class action lawsuit alleges.

Creps purchased a new Kia Optima EX in April 2015 and also experienced engine problems that Kia refused to cover under warranty, the Kia class action lawsuit alleges. She says she ended up paying more than $5,000 to replace her vehicle’s engine in August 2016.

Stanczak and Creps claim that they have suffered a loss of value for their Kia vehicles because of the Kia engine defect. According to the Kia class action lawsuit, they would not have purchased or leased the Kia vehicles, or they would have paid substantially less for them, if they had known about the Kia engine defect.

The Kia class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of Stanczak, Creps and a proposed Class of current and former owners of the affected Kia vehicles. The plaintiffs also seek to certify Classes of Kia vehicles owners in Maine and California.

The plaintiffs are represented by Richard D. McCune, David C. Wright, Joseph G. Sauder, Matthew D. Schelkopf and Joseph B. Kenney of McCune Wright Arevalo LLP.

The Kia Restricted Oil Flow Class Action Lawsuit is Christopher Stanczak and Rose Creps v. Kia Motors America Inc., et al., Case No. 8:17-cv-01365, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.