2023 Kia Niro

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact constantly depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the residence while depressing the brake pedal to prevent the unintended acceleration. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.

While entering into a parking spot at minimal speed, the vehicle experienced an unexpected spontaneous acceleration, causing it to lunge forward, climb onto the curb, and collide with the adjacent building. This resulted mainly in damage to the front end and front passenger door, and the shattering of a large tempered glass window that cushioned the impact. Thankfully, there were no pedestrians on the sidewalk, and the impacted office space was unoccupied at the time of the incident. It is important to note that I was not utilizing the cruise control at the time of the spontaneous acceleration incident and that the vehicle had only been driven 1760 miles since it was purchased, further highlighting the totally unexpected nature of the occurrence. This alarming event of the car accelerating on its own, when it had come to an almost full stop, leads me to believe that the car could pose a significant safety risk. I am deeply troubled by the potential consequences of this spontaneous acceleration; no warning light or collision safety feature turned on. I consider that it is imperative for Kia to conduct a thorough investigation and retrieve the vehicle data to determine the root cause of the incident.

My dashboard screen has turned off completely 3 different times in the 14 months I have had the vehicle. It is normally off for several days at a time. When it is off, I have no access to my speed, gas, or any other controls shown on that display. When I run the KIa diagnostic tool, it tells me there is an issue with my airbags. Kia has a recall for this issue but refuses to apply the recall (software update) to my vehicle because it was manufactured 19 days before the recall period. I have photos and videos that I have shared with Kia Corporate every time it happens. Below is the reply from Kia Corporate "Dear [XXX] , Thank you for your inquire. We apologize the service campaign in reference is not related to customers vehicle. If we release a Service Campaign also known as a Safety recall, the customer with the affected vehicle will receive a letter in the mail. This campaign is for Niro thats production date is between September 14, 2022 to March 8, 2023, customers vehicle production date is [XXX]. If you are still having concerns customer is welcome to take the vehicle to an alternate Kia Dealer for a second opinion. Sincerely, [XXX] Phone | [XXX] Kia America" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)