NHTSA Complaint #10579048 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID

TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I HAVE A GREAT SAFETY CONCERN RELATED TO THE OPTIMA 2013 HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM. I AM NOT SURE IF THE BEHAVIOR I AM GOING TO DESCRIBE IS TYPICAL OR DEFECTIVE. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEED, WITH THE CRUISE SET, I FIND THAT ANY SUDDEN AND HARD HIT TO THE BRAKES WILL ACTIVATE SOME TYPE OF AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THE BRAKING SYSTEM FEELS LIKE ABS AND SOUNDS VERY MECHANICAL HOWEVER THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT DEACTIVATE AFTER I REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO AUTOMATICALLY REDUCES THE CAR TO A NEARLY COMPLETE STOP (LESS THAN 15MPH) WITHOUT ME HAVING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES, THE MOST RECENT WAS 4/10/14. EARLIER TODAY I WAS TRAVELING 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WITH THE CRUISE SET, WHEN IT APPEARED A PERSON WAS GOING TO WALK INTO THE HIGHWAY. I HIT THE BRAKES HARD TO AVOID THE PEDESTRIAN, WHO EVENTUALLY DID NOT ENTER THE ROAD. THE SITUATION WAS NOT WORTHY OF COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP HOWEVER THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM I DESCRIBED ABOVE ACTIVATED. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE BUT THE BRAKING SYSTEM CONTINUED TO BRING THE CAR TO A SPEED LESS THAN 15 MPH. THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME, UNDERSTANDABLY, HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID ME AS I COULD NOT SPEED BACK UP UNTIL THE SYSTEM RESUMED TO NORMAL OPERATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS TYPICAL OPERATION OR A POTENTIAL DEFECT. I FEEL THIS COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. SHOULD I HAVE TO HIT MY BRAKES AND THIS SYSTEM ACTIVATES, I COULD BE SEVERELY REAR-ENDED. THANK YOU. *TR