2006 Kia Optima needed a new timing belt within the next few thousand + miles (needs to be changed every 60,000 miles or sooner), but one the crankshaft pulley just came off and then the belt came off a couple pulleys because of this. The belt actually looks fine, but the pulley failure caused the belt to come off. This belt runs several things so the initial loose pulley caused the car to lose power steering, battery light to turn on, the A/C failed, etc., and then the inner part of the pulley came off and the outer ring (magnetized) fell and stuck to part of the car frame that is actually metal. My wife made it to work while the belt had to still be on but loose, and it now sits in her parking spot at her job (hospital parking ramp). I will probably have it towed tomorrow. This could have easily led to an extremely dangerous situation if it happened on the highway. I found the outer part of the lower pulley laying above the car frame close to the engine. If the car drove after this, engine damage would be most likely. I will hopefully have it towed to the nearest Kia dealership by tomorrow to see if I just need the pulley and belt or if the engine is damaged. This is unbelievable, because I found many people that had the same issue with the crankshaft pulley bolt breaking off and sometimes causing engine damage immediately afterward. As a consumer, I shouldn't have to go under the vehicle and tighten a factory tightened bolt every now and then. I hope that the newer bolts actually hold like a grade 8 american bolt, because that wouldn't fail. Rubber can't break steel, and I can't believe this obvious oversight by Kia hasn't been recalled or in a technical service bulletin!!!!

- Appleton, WI, USA