Why is my engine replacement taking so long? Should I be concerned?

I own a 2019 Sorento Ex, and the engine replacement process has been incredibly frustrating. It’s been over two months since I dropped my car off, and I’m starting to worry about whether the repair will even be covered by warranty. I’ve been given a loaner car the whole time, but I’m still anxious. The dealership took years to admit my car needed a new engine, and that was only after I did my own research and requested an oil consumption test. They never once told me about the car consuming oil until I noticed a drop in power and rattling. Now I just don’t want to deal with the service department anymore, but I’m still getting no updates other than an email from Kia with a case number and a loaner car switch. I just want to know if I should keep waiting or be worried.

I had a similar issue with my 2012 Kia Optima. The engine replacement took two months, and I didn’t get a loaner car. You’re lucky to have one.

BRANDON said:
I had a similar issue with my 2012 Kia Optima. The engine replacement took two months, and I didn’t get a loaner car. You’re lucky to have one.

That sounds tough. I’m just worried that after all this time, they might still say it’s not covered under warranty.

@Jony
It should be covered. This is a common issue with these engines.

@Jony
There’s actually a Kia lawsuit about engine replacements. Look into Kia forums for more info on that.

The main thing is to wait for the dealer to get it done. You’ve got a case number, so as long as it’s valid, they’ll sort it. My guess is they’re just waiting for the engine to arrive.

Cindy said:
The main thing is to wait for the dealer to get it done. You’ve got a case number, so as long as it’s valid, they’ll sort it. My guess is they’re just waiting for the engine to arrive.

Thanks for that info. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or not.

Mine took four months back in 2016.

My engine replacement was done over a weekend on my Sportage.

You could look into a Buy Back, but I’m not sure how that would go. When my K5 got rear-ended, it only needed 20 parts, but that took over 3 months. So, an engine taking two months seems reasonable. Be thankful it’s not a Ford – you could be waiting up to 10 months for an engine.

It took 2-3 months for ours. There’s a big backlog because of how many engines are failing.

If you’re the original owner and the car has under 100k miles, I can’t see why it wouldn’t be covered unless you skipped oil changes. Enjoy the new Seltos!

I had the same thing with my 2014 Kia Sorento. It took almost two months to get my car back, and I had to pay for a rental. Just be patient or give Kia’s corporate line a call.

I have a 2017 Kia Forte EX. It’s been six months, and still no news. The long block was on back order with no ETA. After a lot of complaints, corporate agreed to let them do an engine rebuild. The process has been slow, and I’ve had to pay for a rental while waiting for a reimbursement. It’s been a real mess.

@pancholo
What kind of warranty will the engine have once it’s done?

(Edit- 2016 Soul, 68,000 miles, 2nd owner, bought from dealership 3/23)

My engine replacement process started in September 2023. On January 5, 2024, it went into ‘limp mode’ and wouldn’t go over 10 MPH.

They finally picked it up in June, and I got it back on July 6 – 7 months and one day after the breakdown and 10 months since starting the process. No loaner was provided, and it sat in my driveway for 6 months because they ‘didn’t have room on their lot’ for it.

@Garcia
Wow… these stories just keep getting worse.

I had my 2023 Kia Niro transmission fail and it took a month to get a replacement. Thankfully, I had a rental the whole time.

I’ve never needed an engine replacement, but two months for that seems like a really long time.

MaxKiaEnthusiast said:
I’ve never needed an engine replacement, but two months for that seems like a really long time.

Sadly, it’s normal for parts to take forever. It’s not unusual at all.