NHTSA Complaint #10362997 — 2007 KIA SPECTRA

I HAVE A 2007 KIA SPECTRA AND THE KEYLESS DOOR OPENER AND LOCK SYSTEM HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. THE LOCKS DON'T OPEN WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO AND LOCK WHEN THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. I BROUGHT TO KIA DEALER BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE MY PROBLEM AND HINTED THAT I WAS NOT USING THE BUTTONS CORRECTLY. WELL AT AROUND 60,450 MILES I STARTED MY CAR TO GET THE HEAT ON, I TOOK OFF THE KEYLESS ENTRY DEVICE AND CLOSED THE DOOR TO LET MY CAR WARM UP. I DID NOT LOCK THE DOOR USING THE BUTTON ON THE KEYLESS DEVICE, BUT THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY WITH MY CAR ON. NO WAY WOULD THAT KEYLESS ENTRY DEVICE ALLOW ME TO GET BACK IN THE CAR. IT WAS 11:00 PM, COLD, LUCKILY SOME FRIENDS REMAINED WITH ME AND TRIED TO GET IN THE CAR WITH COAT HANGARS AND OTHER DEVICES TO NO AVAIL. EVENTUALLY I HAD TO CALL A LOCKSMITH, TO GET IN WHICH COST $50, HOWEVER ALL THE TRYING TO GET IN DAMAGED BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER DOOR MECHANISMS SO NOW I HAVE THE EXPENSE OF GETTING THIS FIXED, WHICH KIA SHOULD HAVE FIXED BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT. I TRIED FOR AN HOUR PRESSING THE BUTTONS ON THE KEYLESS ENTRY, THE DOORS WOULDN'T OPEN, THE TRUNK WOULDN'T OPEN, THE BATTERY WAS FINE IN THE KEYLESS ENTRY DEVICE, THE LIGHT WORKED LIKE IT NORMALLY WORKS BUT IT WOULDN'T OPEN THE CAR! WHAT IF GOD FORBID I HAD JUST BUCKLED A CHILD IN THE BACKSEAT AND CLOSED THE BACK DOOR AND THEN TRIED TO OPEN MY DOOR TO GET IN AND THE CAR LOCKED ITSELF. OR IF THERE WERE SOME OTHER EMERGENCY AND I COULDN'T GET IN. IN ADDITION TO THIS BEING A CONVENIENCE ISSUE I DEFINITELY THINK IT COULD ALSO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. I FEEL KIA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING MY DAMAGED DOOR MECHANISMS, IN ADDITION TO REIMBURSING ME FOR THE LOCKSMITH. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING TO THIS MATTER. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE DEALER DIDN'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED REALLY CHECKING OUT THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS GOING TO BE UP AT 60,000 MILES. *TR