2016 Kia Sedona

MY MOTHER AND HER FRIEND WERE DRIVING APPROX. 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WENT OFF THE ROAD CAUSING THEM TO GO INTO THE FRYING PAN RIVER IN BASALT, CO. THERE WAS APPROX. 42.1 DEGREE SLOPE. MY MOTHER WAS THE PASSENGER. WE RETRIEVED HER PICTURES AND VIDEO. SHE WAS VIDEO TAPING WITH HER CELL PHONE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PASSENGER WINDOW WAS DOWN. SHE SAID, "OH [XXX]", AND APPEARED TO REACH TO REMOVE HER SEATBELT. THEY WENT INTO THE RIVER. THEY WERE FOUND AT 4:30 PM WITH CAR SUBMERGED IN WATER AND BOTH DROWNED. NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR. THE SIDE AIRBAGS HAD GONE OFF AND THE FRONT WINDOWS WERE UP WITH THE AIRBAGS STICKING OUT WHEN THEY WERE FOUND. THE FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF. MY CONCERN IS THAT MY MOM KNEW SHE WOULD GET OUT BUT WHEN SHE TOOK A DEEP BREATH THE AIRBAGS KNOCKED HER AIR OUT. AND WE KNOW THE WINDOWS WERE DOWN BUT WENT UP. IF THE ELECTRICAL SHORTED OUT FROM BEING UNDER WATER, WHY DID THE WINDOWS GO UP AND NOT STAY WHERE THEY WERE, WHICH WAS OPEN. ALSO, THE DRIVERS SEAT MOVED FORWARD AFTER GOING INTO THE WATER. AND WE QUESTION IF AIRBAGS WENT OFF TO EARLY. BOTH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYING AND WINDOWS GOING UP IMPEDED MY MOM GETTING OUT. THE POLICE REPORT SEEMS TO QUESTION WHY THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF ALSO. THERE WAS A REPORT THAT ANOTHER KIA SEDONA WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND ALL THE DOORS FLEW OPEN. I'M WORRIED THAT WE WILL START SEEING MORE AND MORE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH KIA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK TO FULL. STARTING THE CAR AND DRIVING IT, THE RPM'S FLUCTUATE DRASTICALLY, AND THE CAR "BUCKS" AT ANY SPEED (NO PARTICULAR SPEED, OBSERVED AT A STOP, ACCELERATING, CRUISE CONTROL, 45 MPH). ONCE THE GAS LEVEL IS LESS THAN FULL - AROUND 7/8 OF A TANK, THE VAN SEEMS TO DRIVE OK. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 2 OCCASIONS. (2 FILL UPS TO FULL, 1 ADDITIONAL FILL UP TO 7/8 OF A TANK HAD NO ISSUE). THE SECOND FILL UP WAS THE WORST - THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE MAKING A TURN AT AN INTERSECTION. HAPPENED AGAIN THE SAME DAY, FROM A STOP, ACCELERATING TO TURN THE CAR SHUT OFF.

THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE MANUFACTURED TO A SPECIFICATION THAT GIVES VERY LIMITED LENGTH OF VISIBILITY MAKING FAST HIGHWAY DRIVING AT NIGHT VERY DANGEROUS. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS NORMAL, MANUFACTURER IS LOOKING INTO IT. SIMPLY PUT THEY ARE BY DEGREES POINTED DOWNWARD TOO EARLY AND THIS PROVIDES VERY LIMITED VISIBILITY AND VERY LIMITED REACTION TIME IN THE EVENT OF A DEER OR OTHER ROAD HAZARD - FORCING YOU TO USE HIGH BEAMS AT ALL TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT NIGHT TO ENSURE REASONABLE VISIBILITY

ON IIHS WEBSITE IT MENTIONS THAT KIA REPROGRAMMED THE AUTO LOCK FEATURE SO THAT THE DOORS WOULD STAY CLOSED IN A CRASH AND REDUCE INTRUSION. HOWEVER IF SOMEONE IS DROPPED IF THE LOCK IS DISENGAGED WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, PERHAPS WHILE DROPPING OFF A PASSENGER, THE DOOR DOES NOT LOCK AGAIN WHEN DRIVING. THIS COULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF THE AUTO LOCK FEATURE.