NHTSA Complaint #10852998 — 2015 KIA FORTE

THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AS I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE IN MARCH OF 2016. I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND BEGAN TO PUSH THE GAS TO BACK OUT. THE CAR ENGINE REVVED LOUDLY AND THE CAR SHOT OUT OF THE GARAGE. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THINKING I POSSIBLY HAD MY FOOT ON THE WRONG PEDAL (EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE), I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FEET AND VERIFIED THAT MY FOOT WAS INDEED ON THE BRAKE AND NOT THE GAS PEDAL. I THEN PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR STILL DID NOT SLOW DOWN; IT CONTINUED TO PICK UP SPEED. AT THIS POINT, I HAD GONE DOWN MY DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE STREET AND WAS IN MY NEIGHBORS' DRIVEWAY HEADED TOWARD THEIR HOUSE. THEN, I TRIED PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK AND THAT STILL DID NOT STOP OR EVEN SLOW DOWN THE CAR. IT JUST MADE A TERRIBLE NOISE. MY NEXT STEP WOULD HAVE BEEN TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, BUT I HAD ALREADY HIT THE OUTSIDE WALL OF MY NEIGHBORS' GARAGE AND THAT IS WHEN THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED AND BEGAN IDLING NORMALLY. I TOWED IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THEY RAN TESTS ON THE BRAKES, THROTTLE, ETC. AND FOUND NO ABNORMALITIES. WHEN I ASKED WHAT INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM THE CONTROL MODULE, I WAS TOLD THAT NO HISTORY CODES WERE SHOWN. SO, ACCORDING TO THEM THERE WAS NO RECORD OF ME BRAKING OR THE CAR ACCELERATING. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE. I ASKED TWICE FOR COPIES OF THE ACTUAL TESTS AND DATA THAT WAS DOWNLOADED FROM THE CONTROL MODULE, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE THEM. I WAS TOLD THE INFORMATION WAS TYPED WORD FOR WORD IN THE SUMMARY SECTION OF THE RECEIPT. I AM NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW CAR, SINCE I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS ONE AND EXPRESSED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. HOW CAN THEY ALLOW A CAR BACK ON THE ROAD WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR WHY IT ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY? I'M BAFFLED BY THIS. UNFORTUNATELY, MY STORY IS NOT UNIQUE.