NHTSA Complaint #10483167 — 2011 KIA SORENTO

THIS IS MY WIFE'S VEHICLE, BUT GIVEN THE ISSUE SHE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT..... DRIVING UP HILL WITH MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AT 50 MPH. MY VEHICLE LOST POWER ( AS IF I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE ) MY BODY WENT FORWARD AND WAS STOPPED BY THE SEATBELT. MY HEAD WHIPPED DOWNWARD. THEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. MY HEAD AND BODY SLAPPED BACK INTO THE SEAT. IT WAS SO ABRUPT AND VIOLENTLY. IT WILL SCARE YOU TO DEATH. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR TO COUNT. I HAVE TRIED TO DOCUMENT THE EVENTS IN A JOURNAL BECAUSE THE DEALER HAS BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT ONLY ONCE. SOME DAYS IT CAN HAPPEN UP TO 3 TIMES A DAY FOR WEEKS ON END. SOME TIMES I CAN DUPLICATE IT DRIVING UP HILL AND SOMETIMES NOTHING. THE WORST TIMES ARE WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR WHEN SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING TO CLOSE BEHIND ME. MY FEAR IS THAT I WILL HURT ANOTHER MOTORIST OR A PASSENGER IN MY VEHICLE. A TERM CALLED " LIMP MODE " HAS BEEN SAID TO ME. WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS TO A HI GEAR TO PROTECT IT FROM DAMAGE. MY VEHICLE STILL DOES THIS AT LEAST ONCE EVERY OTHER DAY. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 14 TIMES. THE TRANNY WAS REPLACED A YEAR AGO AND A BACKFIRE CODE WAS FOUND RECENTLY. A COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT DIDN'T HELP WAS THE LAST THING DONE IN OVER A YEAR, UNLESS YOU COUNT PAYING FOR RENTAL VEHICLES DOING SOMETHING. THERE IS ALSO A SUSPENSION/STEERING ISSUE. A HARD PULLING LEFT/RIGHT AND BUMP STEER. THE VEHICLE WILL PULL THE STEERING WHEEL OUT OF YOUR HAND IN TURNS AND VEERS AS IT HITS BUMPS. *TR