"Kia Motors Failed to Update SW... Engine Stalled on Highway"

On the 19th (local time), Chicago ABC News reported that a Kia driver in the United States suffered mental and financial damages after experiencing a dangerous situation where the car engine shut off while driving because they were unaware that a software update was required for their vehicle.

On this day, Chicago ABC News shared the consumer's story, stating, "Some consumers did not receive notifications about major software updates and ended up spending thousands of dollars on engine replacement costs."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Cindy Wetzel, a housewife living in the Chicago suburb of Burbank, owns a 2015 Kia Optima (K5). According to Wetzel, the engine began showing problems in January, and while her daughter was driving at 105 km/h on the highway, the vehicle's engine shut off. She said, "It could have been fatal."

Wetzel took the car to the dealership and was told by the staff that the software update had not been performed, so the issue could not be fixed. She then contacted Kia, stating that she had never received any update notifications, but Kia responded that the failure was due to not performing the update and that support was not possible. Kia also sent Wetzel a copy of the software update notice mailed in July 2018 as evidence. However, Wetzel told Chicago ABC News that she never received the notice, and the vehicle listed in the notice was incorrectly identified as a 'Sorento' instead of an Optima.

Chicago ABC News explained, "Kia gave some model owners a 90-day window to perform the software update and qualify for an extended engine warranty," but "Wetzel did not perform the update and must bear the full $7,300 (approximately 9.7 million KRW) cost of engine replacement herself."

Kia told Chicago ABC News, "Because Wetzel did not perform the software update in a timely manner, the engine replacement cost cannot be covered under warranty service," adding, "If Wetzel installs a new engine, the software will be updated, and she will receive a lifetime warranty service on the engine."

However, Wetzel insists she never received any update notification and argues that Kia should have been more proactive in notifying her.

Currently, Kia owners in the United States have filed a class-action lawsuit in the California federal court regarding engine defects. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), since 2020, 39 Kia owners have filed complaints alleging that repairs and warranty services were denied due to failure to perform software updates. More than half of them, 21 owners, claim they never received any update notifications.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.