NHTSA Complaint #11221794 — 2017 HYUNDAI IONIQ HYBRID

DRIVING ON THE NORTHBOUND 3-LANE SECTION OF I-75, I MOVED FROM CENTER LANE WHERE I WAS BEHIND A HUGE SEMI TRUCK THAT BLOCKED VISION AHEAD, SO I MOVED INTO THE LEFT LANE WHEN ALL TRAFFIC HAD PASSED AND IT WAS CLEAR. THEN IMMEDIATELY AHEAD AT APPROXIMATELY 5 CAR LENGTHS FROM ME IN LEFT LANE, A LARGE SUV HAD STOPPED DEAD IN THAT LEFT LANE OF INTERSTATE ALONG WITH OTHER VEHICLES AHEAD OF HIM. THERE WAS NO SHOULDER AVAILABLE, JUST CONTINUOUS CONCRETE JERSEY RAIL, AND NO OPENING ON MY RIGHT TO GO TO. ALTHOUGH I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES AND PRESSED THEM AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, MY 2017 HYUNDAI IONIC HYBRID CAR DID NOT STOP, ITS AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK LEAVING ENOUGH SLACK THAT MY CHIN AND CHEST SLAMMED INTO STEERING WHEEL AS I RAN INTO REAR OF THE STOPPED SUV CAUSING HIM TO RUN INTO SUV IN FRONT OF HIM. THEIR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, MINE DID NOT. ALTHOUGH THE FAULT WAS ENTIRELY MINE IN TERMS OF STRIKING THE FIRST CAR, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY IONIQ DIDN'T STOP BETTER OR WHY MY AIRBAG DIDN'T PREVENT ME FROM STRIKING THE STEERING WHEEL. I DID TELL THE HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER THAT I HAD STRUCK MY CHEST AND CHIN QUITE HARD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT HAD NO EXTERNAL INJURIES. THE UPSET AND REGRET OVER THE INCIDENT WAS ENOUGH TO PUT THOSE QUESTIONS OUT OF MY MIND FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS, UNTIL TODAY FRIDAY 6/21/19 WHEN I WENT TO THE AUTO COLLISION REPAIR CENTER AND SPOKE TO THE MANAGER. HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD REPORT THE SITUATION WITH THE SEAT BELT, AIRBAG AND ABS BRAKES NOT PERFORMING AS THEY SHOULD, AND MAKE HYUNDAI AWARE OF IT AS WELL, AND HE PROVIDED ME THE NHTSA INFORMATION. I ALSO TEXTED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WHERE I LEASED THIS VEHICLE TO ADVISE HIM OF WHAT HAPPENED. HE HAS NOT YET RESPONDED. THUS THIS REPORT.