NHTSA Complaint #10588727 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

INCIDENT #1: I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE EAST BOUND ON A ST IN THE DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO AREA, APPROACHING FRONT STREET (EXACT STREET INTERSECTION UNKNOWN). I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE WHEN THE CAR, WITHOUT ANY WARNING OF IMMINENT FAILURE (NOT EVEN AN ODD NOISE OR ELECTRICAL GLITCH BEFOREHAND) JUST COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND STOPPED ABRUPTLY. I HAD NO WAY TO EVEN MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO TRY TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK, TURNED ON MY WARNING LIGHTS, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND THEN TRIED TO RE-START THE VEHICLE. IT RESTARTED WITHOUT ANY COMPLICATION AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. INCIDENT #2: ON 05/13/2014, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS OR 550 MILES OF USE (MY PERSONAL ESTIMATE), THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME, I WAS DRIVING WEST BOUND ON CEDAR STREET IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO, AT APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH (DECREASING SPEED TO STOP AT A LIGHT) WHEN AT THE CORNER OF 5TH STREET AND CEDAR ST., THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING OR ANY PRIOR INDICATION OF IMMINENT FAILURE. I WAS ABLE TO VEER THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE A BIT BECAUSE OF THE MOMENTUM AND ANGLE OF THE STREET BUT COULD NOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL MUCH. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED ON MY WARNING SIGNALS, AND TURNED OF THE IGNITION. I THEN SHIFTED THE VEHICLE TO NEUTRAL THEN BACK TO PARK, AND THEN TRIED TO TURN ON THE CAR AGAIN AND IT DID WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY TOLD ME THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND WERE NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONCERN. THEIR ONLY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO TAKE THE CAR IN IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. *TR