NHTSA Complaint #10706368 — 2013 KIA SOUL

IN THE FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO WE FREQUENTLY GET SEVERAL INCHES OF WET, HEAVY SNOW IN THE FALL, WINTER AND SPRING. WE HAVE TO PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE A GARAGE AT HOME AND AT WORK. WE ALWAYS COMPLETELY CLEAR SNOW FROM ALL GLASS SURFACES AND CHECK THE OPERATION OF THE WIPERS BEFORE DRIVING THE CAR. WE BOUGHT AN EXPENSIVE TELESCOPING COMBINATION SCRAPER, BRUSH AND SQUEEGEE DESIGNED FOR CMVS TO CLEAR AS MUCH SNOW AS WE CAN REACH AND SEE FROM THE WHITE PAINTED ROOF OF THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING IT. AFTER THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WARMS UP IT APPEARS TO LOOSEN THE BOND BETWEEN THE ROOF OF THE CAR AND ANY RESIDUAL OR NEWLY ACCUMULATED SNOW. NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN UNDER NORMAL BRAKING SNOW HAS SLID FORWARD OFF THE ROOF ON TO THE WINDSHIELD OBSCURING ALL FORWARD VISIBILITY AND INSTANTLY CREATING A SEVERE COLLISION SAFETY HAZARD. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ACTIVATED TO CLEAR THE SNOW THE WIPER MOTORS ARE TOO WEAK TO MOVE THE SNOW REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO BLINDLY BRAKE TO A STOP UNABLE TO SEE WELL ENOUGH EVEN TO STEER THE CAR OUT OF THE LANE OF TRAFFIC TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. THIS HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AGO AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION IN SLICK SNOWY ROAD CONDITIONS DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR. AFTER COMING TO A STOP WITHOUT HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER MY FIVE FOOT, TWO INCH TALL 68 YEAR OLD WIFE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND MANUALLY REMOVE(FOR THE SECOND TIME) SNOW FROM THE WINDSHIELD WHILE BEING SUBJECTED TO HONKING HORNS AND ONE-FINGERED SALUTES FROM ILL-MANNERED MOTORISTS. UNTIL KIA CHOOSES OR IS REQUIRED TO CORRECT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AN OTHERWISE GREAT LITTLE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. *TR