NHTSA Complaint #10514519 — 1998 KIA SPORTAGE

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SCALDED WITH BOILING RADIATOR FLUID WITH FOOT ON PEDAL, HAD TO KEEP FOOT ON PETAL TO GET OFF ROAD ON MAY 30, 2013, AT APPROX. 4:30 PM EDT, I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 KIA SPORTAGE ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY NORTH, JUST AFTER ENTERING THE HIGHWAY AT EXIT 98 IN WALL, NJ. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAD NOT BEEN WORKING WELL. THE LOCAL TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE HIGH 90S, NEAR 100 DEGREES. I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SUDDENLY, ANTI-FREEZE SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE DASHBOARD VENTS, THEN, HOT SCALDING ANTI-FREEZE BEGAN FALLING ON MY RIGHT FOOT AS IT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. AT THE SAME TIME, THE FRONT-SEAT PASSENGER WAS ALSO GETTING SCALDED. IN MY CASE, I SUSTAINED A 1ST TO 2ND DEGREE BURN ON MY RIGHT SMALL (PINKY) TOE, WHICH WAS BLISTERED. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF AT THE MONMOUTH SERVICE AREA AT MILEPOST 100 IN WALL, NJ. MY VIEW IS THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE CAUSED BY DESIGN OVERSIGHT, NOT MERELY A MAINTENANCE ISSUE ON A OLD CAR. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A HEATER CORE BREAKS AND DOES NOT HEAT, THAT IS A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IF IT BREAKS AND AN UNEXPECTED DRIVER GETS HURT, AND COMPOUNDED, LOSES CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND MOREOVER, HAS TO PUT HIS FOOT BACK ONTO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO CONTROL THE CAR IN A HOT-LIQUID STREAM, THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE SAFETY CONDITION DUE TO FAILURE TO SAFELY CONTAIN HOT LIQUIDS. *TR