2022 Kia K5

On XXX, while traveling to [XXX], I experienced serious fuel system problems after filling my vehicle. The fuel gauge fluctuated from full to empty, and a loud pop caused the rear seat, where my two children were sitting, to lift upward. The vehicle would not accept more fuel despite the empty reading. I called AAA, but before the tow arrived, the gauge returned to normal, so I continued my trip. After returning to [XXX], I checked my Kia app and discovered active Recall SC356 describing a damaged check valve that could cause fuel tank expansion, rear seat lifting, and abnormal fuel gauge behavior—the same symptoms I experienced. On XXX, I brought the vehicle to The Kia Store in Louisville, advised them of the recall and my symptoms, and requested an inspection. Service Advisor Sidney Daub stated the issue was caused by a scratched muffler, not the recall, and no recall repair was performed. Relying on that assessment, I continued driving. From XXX, while traveling to [XXX], the same problems returned. Smoke came from the fuel tank area, fuel sprayed onto me when I opened the fuel door, and the vehicle became disabled and required towing home. I then took it to Kia Store East on June 10. There, [XXX] advised the failure was related to Recall SC356, and Haley informed me Kia Consumer Affairs would contact me. After weeks of communications, Kia advised on XXX that the vehicle was unrepairable and requested ownership documents. On XXX, Kia offered only to satisfy my loan balance through a buyback. I believe the dealership's failure to properly diagnose & repair the recall condition in April directly contributed to the later failure, safety hazards, towing expenses, and loss of my vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate Kia's handling of Recall SC356 and the dealership's actions, & encourage Kia to consider a replacement vehicle, collateral swap, or another equitable resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Driving anywhere in general and which ever speed my gas would leak and smell would over take the car and I have a [XXX] and [XXX] babies. This is not the first but the third recall and this is a fire hazard I can’t imagine my car going in flames while we’re already suffering with a leaking gas smell every time we drive the car I can loose my whole family I will soon being filing a lawsuit against this I want a new vehicle completely I do not feel safe in this car with my kids at all there’s always an issue and my dealership is over 40min away to be going so often throughout the years of having this car this is completely unsafe dangerous and just out right unexpectedable and will be filing soon for a new car and compensation INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving my car and heard a loud pop, I was on the interstate and thought maybe my tire was going flat but nothing alerted me on my dash. I heard loud wind noises but everything seemed fine until my car started basically hopping forward and it became hard to accelerate. I had to push the gas harder than normal to maintain average highway speeds. I was also feeling super lightheaded while driving and kept rolling my window down as if I couldn’t get a full breath of air. I would roll it back up after 5 minutes or so and would have to roll it right back down. I was driving a long distance and wasn’t able to immediately stop but I was informed of the gasoline fumes when I family member helped get my bags out of my car. It was the scariest thing

While accelerating in response to a green light I made a right hand turn and as I accelerated up to the speed limit of 55 mph I heard and felt a very loud “bang or pop”. I proceeded to pull the car over anticipating a tire blow out or something damaging the rear end of my car and upon a full visual inspection of all tires, undercarriage, under the hood and in the truck and main cabin of the car I was unable to locate and issues and there were zero codes or lights. After careful assessment I proceeded to get myself and child home but on the way the car started stumbling and there was a strong Oder of gas. A check engine Illuminated giving us an error code referencing our solenoid that works in pair with our fuel system. After checking the car and going inside for about two hours, my husband came to me and asked what happened to the backseat as the entire thing had been pulled up and underneath it was a very pressurized and round fuel system. I proceeded to call the car dealership service department and told them the codes and everything I was showing and what was happening and asked when I could get the car to them, and if it was safe to ride, they said if it’s still ran to go smoothly to the dealership which was a 10 minute drive. As directed by the dealership I brought the car for service and I also located a voluntary emissions report that Kia issued in April of 2024 along with a copy of letters said to be sent to each owner of my make and model. I never received these letters and update not completed. Kia failed to effectively notify all owners of this potential issue with an over pressurized fuel system, putting myself and my children in great risk. Kia America stated they needed to study my car. A recall still has not been issued, although there are several complaints of the same thing in their cars and now I’m forced into a very unfair buyback and I am being penalized due to Kia failing to alert All parties. There is still no recall.

IN OCT 2023 I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY FUEL TANK. I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED MY FUEL GAGE WAS ON EMPTY BUT MY FUEL MILEAGE STATED THAT I HAD 100 MILES LEFT. I WENT TO THE GAS STATION TO FUEL UP AND I WASN'T ABLE TO PUMP ANY FUEL. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE AND HEARD A LOUD BOOM AND A HISSING NOISE. I PULLED OVER TO ASSESS MY VEHICLE AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 10/26/2023. IN MAY OF 2024 I WAS ON MY WAY TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER AND GRANDSON AND STARTED NOTICING MY FUEL GAGE WAS HAVING AN ISSUE AGAIN. ON MY WAY TO THE GAS STATION I HEARD A LOUD BOOM. I COULDN'T PUMP FUEL AGAIN. I PROCEEDED TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER AND GRANDSON. AS THEY GOT IN THE BACKSEAT SHE ASKED ME WHY WAS THE SEAT LIFTED. I INSPECTED MY REAR SEAT AND NOTICED A 3-4 INCH GAP FROM THE SEAT AND THE BASE OF THE SEAT, ALSO IT HAD A LARGE LUMP. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING DAY ON MAY 24, 2024.VEHICLE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. IT'S CURRENTLY AT THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. AS AN UBER DRIVER MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY PASSENGERS AS WELL AS FAMILY MEMBERS HAS BEEN PUT IN DANGER. UNKNOWN. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED FOR THIS ISSUE ON 10/26/2023, 05/24/2024, AND 09/24/2024. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE EARLY PART OF JULY I TOOK A TRIP TO SEE MY MOM IN ARIZONA APPROX. 280 MILES AWAY FROM MY RESIDENCE. AS I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME ON [XXX] I NOTICED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND GAS WAS HISSING AND SPILLING OUT OF THE FUEL TANK. I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE FUEL CAP SO I WENT TO PURCHASE A NEW FUEL CAP. I TRIED TO PUMP MORE GAS BUT I WASN'T ABLE TOO. I REPLACED THE FUEL CAP AND RETURNED TO MY MOTHERS HOME BECAUSE AFTER I REPLACED THE CAP THE FUEL WAS STILL COMING OUT OF THE GAS TANK. I HAD TO PAY $1,000.00 TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED BACK TO CALIFORNIA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

A couple of days before taking my vehicle to get serviced, I started noticing some concerning factors about an issue going on with the vehicles fuel system. When putting fuel in my car, the gas odometer wouldn't match with what the car was marking the gas miles to be. It would fluctuate throughout the day, in the morning it would mark 174 miles of fuel and in the afternoon it would somehow say I had 215 miles of fuel when I never added more fuel to my call. Also when I opened the gas tank I saw white smoke come out from the tank. My back seat also popped out of the clips that kept it in place. It was very apparent while doing research online of the issues I was going through, that other have similar issues, all leading to the fuel tank expanding. The service center at my local Kia claimed their not 1 but 2 recalls on the vehicles and unfortunately the sensor in the fuel tank needed an update, but because my gas tank expanded while they checked it out, they said they couldn't simply update the sensor as my whole fuel system had to be redone. I have tried to reach out to Kia since I do not have a vehicle to commute to work and it is essential I get the issue resolved with my car. I don't know how long this process will take either since no one provides clear time frames or how the process will go. I am pretty much out of a car for over 6 days and still don't know if it can be repaired or what can be done with my vehicle in the condition it is in.