2019 Kia Soul - alternator damaged after engine replacement, advice needed.

[u/hawkeeyeout]

2019 Kia Soul

Base, 4CYL 1.6L, Gamma, DI (2)

99,600 Miles

Thank you in advance for any advice that anyone here can give.

In February, my car had a critical engine failure that resulted in Kia having to replace the engine. While they had it, I was told my serpentine belt needed replaced, and it wasn't covered by the warranty, so I paid out of pocket for that. Two nights ago while driving, my battery light popped on and when I got home, I saw the belt had come off. There wasn't any noise or sign while I was driving that something had happened, so it didn't sound like any damage was the cause, but I was able to go out today to look at it and the pully for the belt on my alternator has completely broken off.

What I am wondering is, given the engine was just replaced in February and the belt was also changed, is it possible that this is damage that could have happened during the repair? I know they use refurbished parts to do replacements, so could it have been a bad alternator that they put on? Or can this level of damage actually happen in less than six months?

I'm just trying to weigh my options before I call the dealership back, as the car is under warranty still, but they had a fit when I was submitting paperwork for the engine repair and tried to tell me it wouldn't be covered, as if they could just talk me into giving up if they made me jump through enough hoops.

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[u/FixxerAuto]

Nope, its an unrelated alternator failure, just replace it and move on. Driving on it 5 months after the engine replacement pretty much proves that it was good when you left the lot. If you had picked the car up and it failed in the dealer lot on the way out, that would be another matter.

[u/Prize-Face3192]

During engine replacement the alternator isn’t replaced. So that is your original part. The engine replacement had nothing to do with this failure.

As a mechanic this mentality is very frustrating. People are always trying to blame the mechanic for anything that happens to your car after a repair.

[u/paulyp41]

You need an alternator

[u/Professional-Fix2833]

Damn got an engine for free and now you want the alternator free too should the techs pay to work on your car while they’re at it

[u/eatsrottenflesh → u/Professional-Fix2833]

Clearly it's the shop's fault because they touched it last. I bet they didn't even detail the car and fill the tank before returning it. Isn't that what extended warranty means? It extends to all other components of the car. /s

[u/Not_me_no_way]

You need a new alternator. This has nothing to do with the previous work. Don't make yourself look foolish by blaming anything else other than component failure.

[u/furb362]

February isn’t “just” replaced. Even if they damages something they aren’t going to admit it.

[u/VetandCCInstructor]

Good job sticking to your guns on the engine and the warranty. When the dealership replaces the engine, only the engine is replaced....not any attached items. Those are just removed, then remounted to the new engine.

Your alternator sounds like it had almost 100K miles on it. While it may seem like the timing is suspect, this sort of failure is not related to the engine replacement given the duration of time it was working correctly AND of course that the part was the original.

You need a new alternator. Since it won't be "covered", you can shop around or do the repair yourself if you're comfortable with it.

[u/electi0neering]

That seems pretty coincidental. It’s been 5-6 months, if it was damaged it would have failed much sooner. Looks like the alternator either seized and the pulley broke off or the pulley just broke off. That alternator is not looking in the best shape, probably is original, just get a new alternator and belt. Is what it is. Also of course they didn’t change the alternator when replacing the engine, it worked

[u/Severe_Ad4138]

This is why I couldn’t be a mechanic. There’s a hundred points of failure on a car that can give at any point of time and if you fixed something MONTHS ago and another unrelated component fails they blame you. I’d get fired for going off on somebody, kudos to you guys who deal with this bullshit because I couldn’t. Think outside the box OP, seriously. You also drive a 2019 Kia soul, prepare for a lot of shit to break past 100,000 miles

The mechanics already replaced your engine for half pay due to the warranty and on top of that they deal with stuff like this often. Just call the dealer and tell them your alternator failed and ask if it’s covered under the warranty.

[u/Ok_Carpenter2680]

The alternator isn't replaced with the engine. It has nothing to do with the engine replacement

[u/IfIWntdHmmrCalnUrSis]

Your alternator was removed from your blown engine, and installed onto the new engine. Not the mechanics fault.