2025 Kia Telluride

While braking in slow traffic at about 11-15 mph, the vehicle hit a pothole/road irregularity and the ABS appeared to activate. The brake pedal vibrated, but the steering wheel also began shaking rapidly left and right. Braking effectiveness was greatly reduced. Even with firm brake pressure, the vehicle did not slow as expected and continued toward stopped traffic ahead. The brake pedal pushed back against my foot. I tried to steer around the vehicle in front of me, but the steering wheel vibration interfered with my steering input and made the vehicle difficult to control. A rear-end collision was avoided only after I shifted the transmission into Park, which brought the vehicle to a stop. All driver assistance systems were off, including adaptive cruise, lane keeping, highway driving assist, and steering assist. This occurred during normal low-speed braking, not aggressive or high-speed driving. I have had similar but less severe ABS behavior before when braking over potholes, bridge joints, or rough pavement, with excessive ABS activation and reduced braking performance. Dashcam footage is available showing the pothole/road irregularity, vehicle speed, steering/hand vibration, my avoidance attempt, and the near-collision. This appears to involve unexpected ABS activation, reduced braking effectiveness, and steering interference during routine low-speed braking, creating a serious safety hazard.

While driving about 35 MPH, the vehicle began to alarm and stated "the engine is off; pull over, put in park or neutral, and restart the car". I pulled over and found that the engine had indeed turned itself off in the middle of driving. When the engine turns off, both the braking vacuum system and the power steering go off, making it harder to brake and steer to safety. If I were going highway speeds, this would be a serious safety situation. I don't know exactly what caused the engine shut off, but it seems like a malfunction of the auto stop/start feature, which I had switched off during the incident (so the car should never turn off). The Kia website gives instructions on what to do in this situation [XXX] ), which would imply it is a known issue. There are forums of people reporting the same issue with 2025 Tellurides. My vehicle has not been inspected since the incident, but because it is electrical and there is no engine code, there is likely no evidence a mechanic could find. There were no warnings prior to or after the event. The vehicle has only 1650 miles on it. I expect it to happen again, and I will attempt to produce a video to document. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am reporting multiple life-threatening safety defects with my 2025 Kia Telluride. The vehicle has experienced Sudden Unintended Acceleration, where it accelerates to excessive speeds without driver input. During these episodes, the braking system fails to respond, only allowing the vehicle to stop once its internal safety systems intervene. Additionally, the vehicle suffers from unpredictable stalling and power loss; the engine frequently shuts off upon parking—followed by the electrical system cycling back on without the motor—and the vehicle consistently struggles to start in the morning. These recurring mechanical and electrical failures pose an immediate danger to myself and others on the road.