NHTSA Complaint #11270308 — 2018 KIA NIRO

A FEW MONTH AGO, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF WHEN TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED/STATIONARY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE HANDLE AND COVER WERE REPLACED. TODAY, 10/22/2018, THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE POPPED OFF WHEN TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. BOTH TIMES THE DOORS WERE UNLOCKED, AND THE PRESSURE APPLIED TO DOOR HANDLE WAS MINIMAL (NORMAL). THE HANDLE BROKE IN THE SAME PLACE AS THE FIRST. WHEN CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP, WE ASKED IF THE OTHER HANDLE (RIGHT REAR PASSENGER) COULD ALSO BE REPLACED, AS THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THEY COULD INSPECT IT WHEN REPLACING THE OTHER HANDLE, BUT COULD NOT ORDER PARTS UNTIL IT IS DETERMINED THAT IT IS BROKEN. UPON RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, WE FOUND THAT KIA HAD ISSUED TSB #TSBBOD180_R1 NHTSA ID #10151899, AND TSB #TSBBOD186 NHTSA ID #10151901 IN REGARDS TO THE DOOR HANDLES ON 2017/18 NIROS, AND SAID THAT ALL THREE PASSENGER HANDLES WERE TO BE REPLACED (NOT THE DRIVER). WE THEN CALLED BACK THE SERVICE DEPT AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE TBS, AND WERE TOLD THAT IT WASN'T FOR OUR VEHICLE. 2 HANDLES IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS WOULD WARRANT THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL HANDLES. WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HASN'T BEEN DONE, IF THIS IS AN KNOWN ISSUE, OR WHY OUR VEHICLE IS SUPPOSEDLY NOT INCLUDED IN THE TSB. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS ACCESS CANNOT BE OBTAIN FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE.