2017 Kia Soul

I was in the right lane, of two lanes, proceeding north. I had waited at a red light, the second car back from the cross street. The light turned green and I was slowly proceeding, maybe going about 15-20 mph. Suddenly, the car engine raced and the front of the car veered left. There were cars in front of me, in the lane to the left of me, and behind me. I had both of my hands on the steering wheel the entire time. I, of course, took my foot off the gas pedal and applied the brakes. The brakes were not stopping the car. The car took off and was uncontrollable. I hit the car in the lane to my left, traveled across the same lane, then luckily ran up a curb and onto a median that had grass on it. The car was out of control and moving swiftly. I steered it to the right and off the median (which avoided hitting oncoming traffic head-on). The brakes were not stopping the car. I heard and felt that the car was hitting things: the car to my left, the median, etc.) I think the car may have spun 360 degrees, one complete revolution, and then jumped the curb and went up onto the median again. Again, I steered to the right to avoid crossing the median. The car then spun 180 degrees, and stopped perfectly facing south in the left northbound lane. (I thought I had gone up the median two times; however, maybe it was only once, as my passenger thought. I don't know if it was once or two times up the curb and onto the median. It all happened so fast.) Car was towed away. What failed: the car wildly took off, veering to the left; the brakes didn't stop the car Risk: the car was uncontrollable (except steering somewhat) and moving; if not for the curb and wide median, I would have traveled head-on into oncoming traffic; the car spun as if spinning on ice Reproduced: the car has not been touched; there is a consumer affairs case open with its manufacturer Inspected: by my insurance appraiser, at the dealership Warning: none, was a shocking surprise

My air bag, ABS and Brake Lights all gave warnings at about the same time, as well as my speedometer going "haywire" on a cold start. I got a recall notice about my airbag (electrical problems) and took it in to Parkway Kia, and was told that the airbag was not part of the recall, and that it would cost $1000 to repair the lights, as several different sensors had gone out at the same time. Included was 5 or 6 repairs that had already been verified that I didn't need. If the dealership is using recall opportunities to push $1000s of unnecessary "maintenance" repairs on their vehicles, no one is going to trust those recalls and this is creating an unsafe driving environment for everyone. I contacted Kia corporate and they stated each shop is "independently owned and operated" and "repairs can be declined." Kia is making a farce of this process and using your agency to perpetuate fraud.

Despite 22V031000 being repaired, the car randomly displays the following warnings, tire pressure, traction control, abs brake failure, check engine, power steering. The speedometer and tachometer cease to function at this point and power steering assistance becomes disabled. Balise Kia service manager Gary Lindsay states the car is safe to drive in this condition and has sent me home twice while waiting for parts. After the second attempt the issue remains.

MY KIA WAS DRIVING NORMALLY UNTIL I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE OIL AND BATTERY LIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY CAME ON AND THE CAR STALLED. I EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE; HOWEVER THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND A HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. MY VEHICLE TRAVELLED ANOTHER 100 FEET BEFORE SHUTTING OFF AGAIN. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PRESENT. I HAD IT TOWED TO STOKES KIA IN GOOSE CREEK SC, WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT MY ENGINE THREW A ROD, AND WOULD COST NEARLY $8,000 TO REPLACE. I'VE HAD MY KIA FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, AND CONVENIENTLY ENOUGH, MY WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED BY A FEW HUNDRED MILES, AND I STILL OWE $9,000 ON THE LOAN I TOOK OUT FOR THE CAR. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THIS VEHICLE HASN'T BEEN RECALLED YET; IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE BECOME A FATALITY WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY WHEN THEIR ENGINE CRASHES ON THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TWICE TO GARDEN GROVE KIA LOCATED AT 13731 HARBOR BLVD, GARDEN GROVE, CA 92843, (888) 992-1833, WHERE THE MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE APPROXIMATELY WAS 93,705.

THE FRONT DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOESN'T LATCH OR LOCK COMPLETELY WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED/SHUT FROM INSIDE. MANY TIMES WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT I DISCOVER THE DOOR HADN'T BEEN LATCHED AT ALL BECAUSE I CAN OPEN THE DOOR WITHOUT USING THE DOOR HANDLE, IT WILL OPEN WITH A SLIGHT PUSH FROM MY ARM. I WORRY THE DOOR WILL OPEN WHEN IT'S MOVING CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES FROM FALLING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. A SECOND SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY KIA SOUL IS THE HESITATION AND SLOWNESS OF ACCELERATION WHEN ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. WITH THE GAS PEDAL PRESSED TO THE FLOOR, A SAFE SPEED CAN'T BE ATTAINED FOR 2-3 MINUTES CAUSING OTHER VEHICLES TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES, REDUCE SPEED OR CHANGE LANES TO AVOID HITTING THE BACK OR SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. THIS IS THE REASON I NO LONGER DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY AND TAKE THE LONG ROUTE INSTEAD. THIRDLY, WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, THE BACKUP CAMERA FAILS TO ENGAGE ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE TIME AND I MUST RELY SOLELY ON SIDEVIEW AND REARVIEW MIRRORS. INCIDENTS OCCURRED FROM A DEAD STOP UP TO 50 MILES PER HOUR.

WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION BACKING IN MY DRIVEWAY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL DRIVERS HANDLE WHILE LOCK ENGAGED AND DOOR OPENED WHILE VEHICLE WAS STILL MOVING. ALTHOUGH I PLANNED ON OPENING THE DOOR AS CAR CAME TO A REST I WAS SURPRISED HOW EASY IT WAS TO OPEN WHILE CAR IS MOVING, AND DOOR HAD DONE SO PREMATURELY THEN I EXPECTED. CONCERNED I TESTED WHILE DRIVING FORWARD LIKE 20 MPH & DOOR OPENS WHEN GRABBING ON HANDLE. MY CONCERN IS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ONE SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO MANUALLY UNLOCK ANY DOOR BEFORE IT OPENS. I ADDRESSED WITH MY KIA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THIS IS NORMAL THAT OPENING HANDLE OVERIDES THE LOCK. THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE TO DO WHEN CAR IS PARKED, NOT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS ENGAGED. I HAVE 2004 SATURN AND MINE DOESNT DO THAT. I UNDERSTAND DOOR/LOCK FEATURES CAN VARY FROM MANUFACTURER TO MANUFACTURER. I CAN SEE A BENEFIT TO THE HANDLE OVERIDE FEATURE THAT PEOPLE COULD BE IN PANIC IN CASE OF FIRE OR OTHER DANGER THAT ALL THEY THINK ABOUT IS THE HANDLE AND STAY TRAPPED BECAUSE THEY FORGET ABOUT THE LOCK. THE CONSUMER SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DECIDE IF THIS IS A FEATURE THEY WANT ENABLED OR NOT. KIA HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO. I FEEL THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN SINCE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BARELY GRAB HANDLE AND DOOR RELEASES; DONT NEED TO PULL HANDLE ALL THE WAY. IF NOTHING ELSE IT SHOULD RELEASE AFTER 5-10 SECONDS OF CONTINUOUS PRESSURE WHILE HANDLE IS IN MAXED OUT OPENING POSITION TO OPEN DOOR WHILE TRANSMISSION IS IN ANY GEAR OTHER THAN PARK. AND IF NOTHING ELSE, ONLY THE DRIVERS DOOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPEN WHILE CARS IN MOTION WHILE PULLING ON HANDLE. FRONT PASSENGER DOOR TESTED AND DOES SAME THING. KIA SAYS ONLY THE REAR DOORS SHOULD STAY SECURE WITH CHILD LOCKS, I DISAGREE! HAD ANOTHER TIME WHEN I WAS GONNA BE DROPPED OFF AS A PASSENGER AND PLANNED ON OPENENING DOOR, IT FLEW WIDE-OPEN WHEN TURNING IN DRIVEWAY AND ALMOST DAMAGED 2 CARS!