2025 Kia Niro

The contact leased a 2025 Kia Niro. The contact was stopped at a traffic light during the night. When the light changed, the contact was partially turning when the other vehicle slammed into the contact's vehicle. No injuries were reported. The contact stated that the front collision sensor failed. The contact was not warned of the impending collision. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was taken to the collision center. A police report was filed. The contact believed that the sensor failed in the evening and worked as intended during the daytime. The insurance company was notified of the accident. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.

I am reporting a serious safety concern regarding the 2025 Kia Niro Hybrid and its adaptive cruise control system. When the cruise control is activated and set to maintain a certain speed, the vehicle continues at that speed regardless of whether there are other vehicles in front of it. In multiple instances, the car approached slower-moving vehicles at 45 mph without reducing speed or giving any warnings. There was no automatic braking or even a prompt to alert the driver of the imminent danger. This is extremely dangerous and could easily result in a rear-end collision if the driver is not fully alert. It is especially surprising because the same vehicle features intelligent climate control functions—such as adjusting fan speed during phone calls and preventing windshield washer fluid odors from entering the cabin while the A/C is running. Given the level of attention to such minor details, the lack of basic forward collision mitigation behavior is unacceptable. The issue was reported to a Kia service center, but no clear explanation or resolution was provided. I believe this may be a software bug or a design oversight that has not been properly acknowledged. Recommendation to other drivers: always keep your eyes on the road and be ready to intervene, even if the adaptive cruise system is engaged. The risk of collision is high if you rely on the system to slow down for vehicles ahead. This needs to be investigated immediately before it leads to serious accidents. I urge the NHTSA to review this issue and, if necessary, request a recall or software update from the manufacturer.