NHTSA Complaint #10966252 — 2016 KIA SOUL EV

CHARGING PORT CAN AUTOMATICALLY LOCK THE CHARGING CONNECTOR, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE WITHOUT DAMAGE OCCURRING, IF NOT DONE CORRECTLY. OF COURSE, THIS ONLY OCCURS WITH THE VEHICLE STATIONARY AT A CHARGING STATION. (I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL ON ELECTRIC CARS BECAUSE IT IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM REMOVING IT WHILE THE CAR IS CHARGING SO THEY CAN CHARGE THEIR CAR.) I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ONE MONTH AND IT HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES. BOTH TIMES, "ONE" OF THE MANY THINGS I TRIED UNLOCKED IT BUT I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT RESOLVED IT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE ANYTHING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TELLING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCKING THE CHARGING PORT AND ONLINE SEARCH HAS ONLY RESULTED IN OTHERS SAYING THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOTHING FROM KIA MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT WHAT RESOLVES THE ISSUE...NISSAN LEAF OWNER'S MANUAL CLEARLY TELLS HOW TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE CHARGING PORT BUT I FIND NOTHING MENTIONED ABOUT IT IN MY KIA MANUAL...ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ONLY SENDS A TOW TRUCK DRIVER APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AFTER THE CALL IS MADE AND THE DRIVER KNOWS LESS ABOUT THE CAR THAN THE OWNER. I BELIEVE THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM, IN AN EMERGENCY OR NOT, WHETHER IT RESULTS IN INJURY TO THE PERSON OR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.