NHTSA Complaint #10445254 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

PLEASE MAKE BLIND SPOT SCORES PART OF VEHICLE SAFETY RATINGS. IT NEEDS TO BE AN ACTUAL SCORE. MOST TERRIFYING TEST DRIVE OF MY LIFE. 2012 KIA SORENTO WAS MY DREAM CAR. I HAD BUILT IT ONLINE 10 TIMES & WALKED IN -SPECS IN HAND- READY TO BUY. THE TEST DRIVE TO ME WAS A FORMALITY. THAT CHANGED DURING THE TEST DRIVE. NEW SUVS ARE ADDING HUGE PILLARS TO THE REAR OF VEHICLES, SHRINKING REAR THIRD WINDOWS, SHRINKING REAR TRUNK DOOR WINDOWS, PUSHING DRIVER SEATS TIGHTLY UP AGAINST THE DRIVER DOOR- TO SHRINK THE CAR AND BOOST GAS MILEAGE. ON TOP OF THAT, THEY ARE PURSUING "QUIETNESS" & PART OF THAT IS SHRINKING THE EXTERIOR MIRRORS. ADD THIS ALL UP & YOU CAN HIDE A SEMI IN THE BLIND SPOT OF THIS CAR. IT WAS LIKE DRIVING A WINDOWLESS CARGO VAN W/O THE BIG CARGO VAN MIRRORS. THE MIRROR ARE SMALL LIKE WHAT BELONGS ON AN ECONOMY CAR. YES, MY DRIVER SIDE MIRROR WAS WELL ADJUSTED TO ONLY SHOW A SLIVER OF THE VEHICLE. I JUST COULDN'T SEE. AS I CONTINUED SUV SHOPPING, I FOUND THIS NEW DESIGN IN MANY NEW SUVS. GIGANTIC BLIND SPOTS ARE NOW THE NEW DESIGN. I COULDN'T SEE TO CHANGE INTO THE LEFT LANE. WHEN I LOOKED OVER MY SHOULDER MY FACE WAS SO CLOSE TO THE WINDOW, ALL I COULD SEE BEHIND ME WERE THE SEPARATING PILLARS. CHANGING LANES WAS A GUESS. I DID NOT BUY MY DREAM CAR, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I REALIZED THERE IS A NEW HIGHLY DANGEROUS DESIGN TREND IN MANY SUVS THAT NEEDS MONITORED. CONSUMERS SHOULD BE INFORMED OF THE SEVERITY OF THIS RISK AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. WE NEED A VISIBILITY RATING SCORE ON THE LABEL OF VEHICLES. I WALKED AWAY FROM DREAM CAR. BELLS AND WHISTLES DON'T MATTER IF YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE TO DRIVE. I CONTACTED CONSUMER REPORTS AND REQUESTED A REPORT THAT SHOWS WHICH SUVS HAVE THE BEST VISIBILITY AND THEY HAD NOTHING ON THE TOPIC. IT IS NOT EVEN MONITORED. HOW CAN THIS DANGER BE BEING INSTALLED IN SO MANY VEHICLES AND GO UNCHECKED BY THE WHOLE SAFETY INDUSTRY? *TR