NHTSA Complaint #11197050 — 2017 KIA SEDONA

WHILE DRIVING AROUND A CORNER DOING 25 MPH, ON A BACK ROAD THAT WAS DRY, I CORRECTED THE STEERING TO THE LEFT OUT OF THE CURVE AND THE STEERING CONTINUED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AND WOULD NOT CORRECT. VEHICLE WENT DOWN A 20 FOOT EMBANKMENT AND STRUCK A TREE HEAD ON. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN THE COLLISION AND THE ENGINE DID NOT SHUT OFF. I SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, RESULTING IN 4 MONTHS OF MISSED WORK AND A DOUBLE DISCECTOMY TO REPAIR TWO SEVERELY HERNIATED DISCS. UNTIL MY SURGERY I WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR FROM THESE INJURIES, AS MY SPINAL CORD WAS COMPRESSED BY THE DISCS IN MY NECK. THE KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS HOTLINE WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME REGARDING THE SAFETY FEATURES OTHER THAN TO SAY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD DEPLOY FROM A FULL FRONT IMPACT GOING A SPEED OF AT LEAST 25MPH (AS THERE WAS DOWNWARD MOMENTUM AT THAT POINT) HOWEVER THE AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP THAT OUR INSURANCE COMPANY ASSIGNED US TO SAYS THE AIRBAGS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO DEPLOY IN SUCH AN ACCIDENT. AS I CANNOT GET AN ANSWER FROM KIA AS TO WHETHER THIS HAS MERIT, I AM LEFT DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT I AM UNSURE IS SAFE.