2009 Kia Sportage

ON TUESDAY AUGUST 28TH 2018 MY CAR WAS PARKED IN AN APARTMENT PARKING LOT, AND HAD BEEN OFF FOR 4 HOURS. I WOKE UP TO MY CAR ALARM GOING OFF AT 12AM. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND THE LIGHTS WERE NOT FLASHING ON MY CAR SO I DIDN'T THINK IT MINE. NOT MORE THAN 1 MINUTE LATER MY CAR STARTED ON FIRE. THANK GOODNESS MY BOYFRIEND WAS A FIREFIGHTER. HE CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH 15 MINUTES. HOWEVER MY CAR WAS DETERMINE A TOTAL LOSS. ALL THEY COULD TELL ME WAS THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT HAD I BEEN AT HOME THAT NIGHT IN MY DUPLEX WHO I SHARE WITH MY NEIGHBORS AND THEIR INFANT, AND PARKED IN MY GARAGE MY HOUSE WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNED AND I WOULD BE DEAD. IT WAS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE AND I HAD NEVER HAD A SINGLE ISSUE WITH THE CAR IN THE 9 YEARS THAT I OWED IT. I WAS THE ONLY OWNER SO I KNEW MY CAR WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. WITH KIA IN THE NEWS A LOT LATELY WITH CAR FIRES I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION.

THIS IS COMPLAINT 2 OF 2. THE OTHER COMPLAINT IS IN THE CATEGORY "AIR BAGS". WILL DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL "ESC" OFF INDICATOR LAMP ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAME ON. AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF THE INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD GO OFF, ONLY TO COME ON AGAIN AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENT: "ESC LIGHT IS ON BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS SHORTING OUT INSIDE THE SWITCH." I EXPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY THEM AS PART OF A RECALL ON 9/7/13, AND THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW SWITCH. THE DEALER HAD TO CONTACT KIA DIRECTLY, AND KIA AGREED TO REPLACE THE SWITCH FOR THE SECOND TIME. I NOW WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE AND AS TO WHY THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH FAILED.

THIS IS COMPLAINT 1 OF 2. COMPLAINT 2 IS UNDER A SEPARATE CATEGORY "ESC". THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "OFF" INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON, WITH AN ADULT PASSENGER SITTING IN THE SEAT (VEHICLE IN MOTION OR STATIONARY). AT FIRST IT WAS RANDOM, AND THEN IT STARTED STAYING ON ALL THE TIME. THEN THE "AIR BAG" WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAME ON. THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT WILL ALSO LOCK, AND NOT RELEASE AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO. AT THIS POINT I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS AFTER RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS: "AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SENSOR IS BAD AND THE PASSENGER SIDE OCCUPANT SENSOR IN THE SEAT IS BAD." THE DEALER GAVE A VERBAL QUOTE OF $2,200 TO REPLACE THE SEAT SENSOR, AND AN ADDITIONAL $575 TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SENSOR. THEY GAVE A WRITTEN ESTIMATE OF $2,212 FOR THE SEAT SENSOR, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE A WRITTEN ESTIMATE FOR THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SENSOR. I REALIZE THE VEHICLE IS 9 YEARS OLD, BUT IT ONLY HAS 42,647 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I CANNOT AFFORD NOR JUSTIFY INVESTING NEARLY $2,800 ON A 9 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. KIA DID A RECALL FOR THE 2006-2008 RIO MODELS ON 5/31/12 "12V244000" FOR THE SEAT SENSOR AND HAS ALSO EXTENDED THE WARRANTY OUT TO 15 YEARS FOR OTHER MODELS. VERY FEW PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO SPEND THIS TYPE OF MONEY FOR A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY KIA. NOW I HAVE A VEHICLE WITH A FAULTY AIR BAG SAFETY SYSTEM, AND HAVE NO IDEA IF THE AIR BAGS WILL DEPLOY IF AND WHEN NEEDED. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION IS ATTACHED.

ON 12 JULY 2018 AT 0530 AM I WAS DRIVING DOWN COUNTY ROAD 26 MANKATO MN TO PICKUP MY SEMI AS I WAS APROACHING 3RD AVE STOP SIGN I APPLIED THE BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR I WENT THROUGH INTERSECTION SLAMMED INTO A BOULDER WALL HEAD ON AT AN ESTIMATED SPEED OF 40-45MPH. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY,SEAT BELT TENSIONER BROKE,WONT RETRACT BACK INTO HOLDER. AFTER GETTING CAR TOWED CAN SEE THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS CRUSHED BUT NO DEPLOYMENT SPENT 2 DAYS IN HOSPITAL. THANKFULLY NOTHING BROKE JUST ALOT OF BRUISING. CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY BRAKES DIDNT WORK ENDED UP USING EMERGENCY BRAKE TO TRY SLOWING DOWN IMPACT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000.