2008 Kia Rio

After driving 2 hrs on the highway, my 2008 Kia Rio chugs and spits out dark smoke. Last month, shortly after this happened, while exiting the highway, the car lost power completely. I was out of town when this happened. The mechanic couldn’t find anything wrong. He did a transmission flush and replaced the crank sensor. It is running again, but the chugging persists after driving 2 hrs on the highway! I am scared of being stranded again. I also think the car is burning oil, as it often is low, and it’s not leaking, as far as I can see. Thoughts? Should I sell it?

How many miles are on it? Why did the out-of-town mechanic think it needed a transmission flush? Have you taken it to a mechanic near your home? And if not, you should and get a real diagnosis instead of listening to a mechanic who flushed your wallet, I mean transmission, hoping to fix an engine problem…

Just because one mechanic was too dumb to find your problem doesn’t mean they all are. Look in the “mechanics files” to find a good independent local mechanic. After that come back, tell us what he/she said and then ask us if you should sell the car.

I suggest you check the oil more often since you said it is often low. Constant low oil will lead to engine overhaul.