I was on a trip and the oil light came on. In the time it took me to move from the left lane of the highway to the side of the road, a small explosion sent pieces of engine flying under the car, left a trail of smoke, and ended with the engine on fire. I had the car towed to my local dealership (411 miles) and continued my trip in a rental car. I was told by a mechanic that a piston came loose and shot a hole through the bottom of the engine.

I was informed that there was an accumulation of oil sludge in the engine. I produced oil change and maintenance records that showed oil changes were more regular than the every-7500-mile suggestion in their owner's guide. The car was given to the dealer on Nov 29. On December 29, I received a call stating that technicians at a plant in Pennsylvania had determined there was insufficient percentage of coolant in the sludge sample, and they would not honor the 100k powertrain warranty on the vehicle. I have since faxed and mailed a complaint and appeal to the corporate offices in Brea California, but I have heard nothing.

I'm not a mechanic, but it strikes me that a piston coming loose is a mechanical failure that falls under the powertrain warranty. I have also found through various web searches that others with my car have had sludge buildup in their engines. I'm hoping someone steps up and does the right thing here. I've been without a car for about 6 weeks already.