NHTSA Complaint #10450518 — 2012 KIA SOUL

I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW KIA SOUL IN NOV OF 2011. WITHIN 200 MILES OF OWNERSHIP, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND FALSELY ACTIVATED. THE ESC NOT ONLY FALSELY ACTIVATED BUT REMAINED ACTIVATED. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED UP AND COULD ONLY BE TURNED IF CONSIDERABLE FORCE WAS APPLIED TO IT. I CAREFULLY PULLED OVER THE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED OFF MY VEHICLE THEN STARTED IT BACK UP HOPING THE ESC WOULD TURN OFF. IT DID NOT. I ENDED UP HAVING TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY DEALER. THE KIA DEALER SERVICE SHOP ULTIMATELY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM. ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND ATTEMPTED TO DO A LANE CHANGE. AGAIN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL FALSELY ACTIVATED AND CAUSED ME TO COLLIDE WITH THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE ESC ACTIVATED, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND CAUSED A SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN THE ACCIDENT. THESE ARE JUST 2 OF MANY INCIDENTS I HAVE EXPERIENCED. *TR