NHTSA Complaint #10909789 — 2014 KIA OPTIMA

WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY OF 4 ON THE FREEWAY IN A DESOLATE AREA OF SANTA CLARITA ON 9/24/16 AT 3:15PM MY VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WE WERE GOING 65 MPH, ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASH FLASHED AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. WE WERE IN THE 2ND LANE AND HAD TO USE THE MOMENTUM OF SPEED TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER, WE WERE ALMOST HIT. ONCE WE MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THIS BUSY FREEWAY, WE WERE UNABLE TO START THE CAR, PUT WINDOWS UP OR DOWN, OPEN THE TRUNK ETC. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. WE SAT WAITING FOR AAA AND HOPING NOT TO GET HIT. IT WAS 85 DEGREES OUT AND MY 74 YEAR OLD MOTHER AND DISABLED SISTER SAT IN THE CAR FOR 30 MINS UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. IF WE WEREN'T SO LUCKY OR IF WE WERE IN THE RIGHTER LANES OF TRAFFIC 4 LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN LOST THAT DAY. I AM VERY ANXIOUS AND NERVOUS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN HOWEVER; I HAVE NO CHOICE IT IS OUR FAMILIES PRIMARY VEHICLE. THE SERVICE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD BE PREMATURELY THAT IT IS THE MOTOR HOWEVER; THE DIAGNOSIS IS NOT FINALIZED. I FEAR FOR THE SAFELY OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE CAR NOW, AND REALLY DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. IT GIVES ME MAJOR ANXIETY ESPECIALLY SINCE I DRIVE FROM CA TO AZ 4 TIMES A YEAR AND NOW FEAR THIS HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A CAR 19 MONTH OLD WITH 48K MILES CAN HAVE THIS TYPE OF ISSUE. ACTUALLY I DON'T KNOW HOW ANY CAR ANY AGE AND MILES CAN HAVE THE ISSUE OF JUST SHUTTING OFF WITHOUT WARNING, IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.