NHTSA Complaint #11047426 — 2012 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MILES FROM HOME AROUND MIDNIGHT, ON A BUSY FREEWAY (I-5), GOING ABOUT 70 MPH, MY CAR SUDDENLY FLASHED A WARNING ABOUT THE HYBRID BATTERY DISCHARGING AND TO PULL OVER. THEN THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE BEFORE GETTING HIT. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD EVERYTHING DIED INCLUDING THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND WE WERE LEFT IN THE DARK WAITING 2 HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND WE COULD'VE BEEN HIT OR CAUSED ANOTHER ACCIDENT. THE CAR HAS NOT STARTED SINCE, HOWEVER IF THE BATTERY IS ACTIVELY BEING CHARGED IT WILL LIGHT UP THE DASH BOARD WHICH JUST FLASHES WELCOME REPEATEDLY AND WON'T START. CURRENTLY AT A KIA DEALERSHIP IN TACOMA, WA AND WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THEY THINK IS WRONG. FROM READING OTHER STORIES ON THIS SITE, SOUNDS LIKE THIS A REOCCURRING ISSUE FOR KIA AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2012 OPTIMAS, JUST NOT THE HYBRIDS.