2008 Kia Sportage

The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while checking the oil in their vehicle, the hood latch suddenly did not lock and the front hood of the vehicle fell down and on the contact's head which caused her nose to fracture. The contact stated she has a laceration on the bridge of their nose where they were bleeding and the contact has two black eyes. The contact did not receive any medical treatment at the scene or go to the hospital. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,000.

MY CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF VERY WELL. THERE HAS BEEN NO MISUSE OR ABUSE. NOW, I HAVE HAD 2 DOOR HANDLES BREAK OFF. EVERY TIME, I RECEIVED A JOLT BACKWARDS. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. I AM A 59 YEARS OLD, LAST PERSON TO GET INTO MY CAR WAS MY 92 YEAR OLD FATHER, WHO IS VERY FRAIL AND UNSTABLE ON HIS FEET. I THANK GOD, IT WAS ME WHO WAS THE VICTIM WHEN THE DOOR HANDLES BROKE OFF, MY FATHER WOULD HAVE FALLEN BACKWARDS, AND COULD HAVE FALLEN AND DIED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, BOTH TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. I AM NOW AFRAID TO EVEN OPEN THE OTHER DOOR HANDLES. IF I LOSE THEM, I HAVE TO GET IN FROM THE TRUNK, AND CLIMB OVER. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH BOTH GRIECO KIA IN DELRAY AND THE CORPORATE OFFICE. THEY JUST KEEP SAYING THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, AS IT IS OLDER. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY TO FIX THESE HANDLES. I DO NOT THINK A DOOR HANDLE SHOULD EVER BREAK OFF. PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE VIDEOS WITH THOUSANDS, OF VIEWERS WATCHING HOW TO FIX A BROKEN CAR HANDLE. THIS MEANS IT HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. KIA SHOULD PAY FOR IT. THEY REFUSE TO TAKE ANY ACCOUNTABILITY.

12/03/17, 03:15 A.M. WHILE PARKED, NOT RUNNING, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND BECAME FULLY ENGULFED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. RESIDENCE WAS BUILT WITH VINYL SIDING, AND FRONT OF HOUSE WAS DAMAGED (MELTED VINYL). PARKED AT PRIVATE RESIDENCE. FAMILY ASLEEP INSIDE RESIDENCE WHEN FIRE ERUPTED. FOR 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO FIRE, THE ABS INDICATOR LAMP ON THE DASH PANEL WAS ILLUMINATED. BRAKES HAD BEEN INSPECTED, AND WERE IN GOOD BRAKING ORDER. I HAVE THE VEHICLE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY ANY INTERESTED PARTY.

SHE IS 73 YEARS OLD AND ON A FIXED INCOME. SHE HAS ALREADY PAID THOUSANDS FOR THE CAR AND NOW DOES NOT HAVE A CAR DUE TO A FAULTY PART. NO CAR SHOULD CATCH ON FIRE DUE TO NORMAL USE. NOW SHE IS GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR ANOTHER CAR. HOPEFULLY THAT CAR MANUFACTURER PRODUCES A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT JUST CATCH FIRE AT RANDOM AND IF IT DOES, THEY TAKE CREDIT FOR BUILDING AND SELLING YOU A VEHICLE WITH A FAULT THAT IS THERE OWN. SHE STRUGGLED TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A CAR THAT SHE TOOK GOOD CARE OF TO JUST BURN UP INFRONT OF HER. SHE LOOKED FORWARD TO FINISH PAYING THE CAR OFF. BLUE BOOK IS ROUGHLY $9,000.00 SHE PAID MORE THAT HALF OF IT OFF AND STILL OWES $7,000.00 BUT NOW, INSURANCE WILL GIVE HER THE $9,000.00 OF WHICH SHE WILL HAVE TO PAY $7,000.00 OUT TO PAY IT OFF, LEAVING HER WITH $2,000.00. WHAT CAN YOU BUY WITH $2,000.00 - NOTHING! SO NOW SHE MUST START OVER AND USE THE $2,000.00 TO GET BACK INTO A FULL CAR PAYMENT AND STRUGGLE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS OR MORE. W.T.F.!?!? I SEE ON THIS WEBSITE, PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO THEM. IF THERE IS MORE THAN 1 OR 2 CARS THAT HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE THE SAME WAY, WHY ISN'T IT LOOKED INTO, AND WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL. SURE IT MAYBE HARD FOR KIA TO REPLACE MANY VEHICLES, HOWEVER, I THINK IT IS HARDER FOR MY MOTHER OF 73 TO GO OUT AND BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE AT $15,000.00 - $20,000.00 JUST BECAUSE THE ONE SHE TRUSTED TO BE A SOLID VEHICLE WAS BUILD CRAPPY. IT IS KIA'S DESIGN AND MECHANICS THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. AND IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO KEEP SELLING THE VEHICLES TO PEOPLE WITH A PROBLEM AS SUCH. *TR