Kia Sportage 1.6 GDI (2014): hole in piston head at 180,000 km
About 18 months ago we bought a second-hand Kia Sportage 1.6 GDI (2014) at mileage 165,000 km at a reputable dealer with one-year written warranty. Recently, the car engine broke down at less than 180,000 km during a trip on the highway. This happened a few months outside the written warranty period.
The car mechanic showed us that one of the piston heads had a hole in it. He suggested that carbon buildup as a result of the direct ingestion might be the cause. He found lots of carbon buildup in all cylinders.
From the time of purchase, the engine oil consumption has been excessive (about 0.5 liter per 1,000 km). We have returned to the garage several times. They changed the oil to a thicker type and added oil additives, but this did not help. In the end, we were just advised to keep topping up the engine oil ourselves.
So far, the garage has denied a link between the excessive oil consumption and the engine breakdown. We are trying to find out the cause of the engine breakdown since this might help in negotiating about the costs of an engine replacement.
- Could the carbon buildup be considered a hidden fault that existed at the time of purchase?
- Can the excessive oil usage be related to the carbon buildup and piston head hole?
- Could the engine breakdown have been prevented by proper maintenance?