NHTSA Complaint #10548176 — 2013 KIA SORENTO

DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY, SUDDENLY LOST POWER, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. STOPPED IN BREAKDOWN LANE, SHUT VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED. VEHICLE RAN OK BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. DUE TO VACATION TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ON 10/8. SERVICE MANAGER SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR ECM AND BASED ON CODE FROM VEHICLE THAT WAS PROBABLY THE PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED WHY I WAS NOT NOTIFIED HE SAID BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE????? TO ME LOSS OF POWER ON THE HIGHWAY IS A SAFETY ISSUE. NOW, 10/16 MY WIFE CONFRONTED THE SAME PROBLEM AND ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH SHE SAID CAUSED A REAL SAFETY PROBLEM, SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND CARS WERE BEARING DOWN ON HER UNTIL SHE COULD FINALLY MOVE OVER INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. AGAIN, SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND VERY ANXIOUSLY ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. AFTER STOPPING AND RESTARTING TWO MORE TIMES SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN. UPON SEEING OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB, I AM GOING BACK TO THE KIA DEALER TO TRY AND GET THIS FIXED, HOWEVER, I THINK THAT THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE KIA TO DO A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER IS AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT MAY BE CAUSING THIS CONDITION BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM OTHERS HAVE ENCOUNTED. *TR