NHTSA Complaint #11181605 — 2017 KIA SOUL

WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION BACKING IN MY DRIVEWAY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL DRIVERS HANDLE WHILE LOCK ENGAGED AND DOOR OPENED WHILE VEHICLE WAS STILL MOVING. ALTHOUGH I PLANNED ON OPENING THE DOOR AS CAR CAME TO A REST I WAS SURPRISED HOW EASY IT WAS TO OPEN WHILE CAR IS MOVING, AND DOOR HAD DONE SO PREMATURELY THEN I EXPECTED. CONCERNED I TESTED WHILE DRIVING FORWARD LIKE 20 MPH & DOOR OPENS WHEN GRABBING ON HANDLE. MY CONCERN IS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ONE SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO MANUALLY UNLOCK ANY DOOR BEFORE IT OPENS. I ADDRESSED WITH MY KIA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THIS IS NORMAL THAT OPENING HANDLE OVERIDES THE LOCK. THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE TO DO WHEN CAR IS PARKED, NOT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS ENGAGED. I HAVE 2004 SATURN AND MINE DOESNT DO THAT. I UNDERSTAND DOOR/LOCK FEATURES CAN VARY FROM MANUFACTURER TO MANUFACTURER. I CAN SEE A BENEFIT TO THE HANDLE OVERIDE FEATURE THAT PEOPLE COULD BE IN PANIC IN CASE OF FIRE OR OTHER DANGER THAT ALL THEY THINK ABOUT IS THE HANDLE AND STAY TRAPPED BECAUSE THEY FORGET ABOUT THE LOCK. THE CONSUMER SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DECIDE IF THIS IS A FEATURE THEY WANT ENABLED OR NOT. KIA HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO. I FEEL THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN SINCE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BARELY GRAB HANDLE AND DOOR RELEASES; DONT NEED TO PULL HANDLE ALL THE WAY. IF NOTHING ELSE IT SHOULD RELEASE AFTER 5-10 SECONDS OF CONTINUOUS PRESSURE WHILE HANDLE IS IN MAXED OUT OPENING POSITION TO OPEN DOOR WHILE TRANSMISSION IS IN ANY GEAR OTHER THAN PARK. AND IF NOTHING ELSE, ONLY THE DRIVERS DOOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPEN WHILE CARS IN MOTION WHILE PULLING ON HANDLE. FRONT PASSENGER DOOR TESTED AND DOES SAME THING. KIA SAYS ONLY THE REAR DOORS SHOULD STAY SECURE WITH CHILD LOCKS, I DISAGREE! HAD ANOTHER TIME WHEN I WAS GONNA BE DROPPED OFF AS A PASSENGER AND PLANNED ON OPENENING DOOR, IT FLEW WIDE-OPEN WHEN TURNING IN DRIVEWAY AND ALMOST DAMAGED 2 CARS!