NHTSA Complaint #10574573 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

AT 5:40PM MST ON 03/20/2014, I WAS APPROACHING A 4-WAY INTERSECTION IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH INTENDING TO STOP AND THEN MAKE A RIGHT TURN. TRAFFIC GOING MY DIRECTION HAD STOP SIGNS AND CROSS TRAFFIC DID NOT. THERE WAS ONE OTHER CAR APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION FROM MY LEFT. WITHOUT WARNING, MY 2012 KIA SORENTO COMPLETELY SHUT OFF (ENGINE, ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC).IT HAPPENED SILENTLY AND WITHOUT DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS OR ENGINE NOISE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO FULLY STOP OR TURN AT THE INTERSECTION AS MY CAR HAD LOST POWER BRAKES, POWER STEERING AND ANY ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A REST, IT WAS AT A DIAGONAL, PARTIALLY BLOCKING THE INTERSECTION AND FACING THE WRONG WAY TOWARD ANY ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO MY RIGHT (THERE WAS NONE AT THE TIME). THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE AND THE IGNITION WAS STILL IN THE FULLY-FORWARD ENGAGED POSITION, BUT THERE WERE NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE MOTOR WAS DEAD. THE OTHER CAR THAT HAD BEEN APPROACHING TO MY LEFT WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME TO AVOID MY CAR, AND HE DROVE AROUND ME AND CONTINUED ON. I PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS. FOR THE FIRST 15 SECONDS OR SO, I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK. EVENTUALLY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE GEAR SHIFT TO MOVE TO PARK, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN ON DESPITE MY TURNING THE THE IGNITION OFF AND ON MULTIPLE TIMES. I WAS ABOUT TO GET OUT AND CALL A TOW TRUCK WHEN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS SUDDENLY CAME BACK ON. AT THAT POINT, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART TO CAR AND DRIVE TO MY DESTINATION. THE CAR DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF A PROBLEM IN THE TIME IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OR AFTER THIS INCIDENT. WE DROPPED OFF THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT MORNING 3/21/2014. AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM, NOR HAVE THEY FOUND ANY CODES ON THE CAR'S COMPUTER. THIS IS POTENTIALLY AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM.