NHTSA Complaint #11309450 — 2016 KIA OPTIMA

ON 1/12/2020, I WAS DRIVING MY CAR 2016 KIA OPTIMA FROM ALPHARETTA TO DECATUR TO ATTEND CHURCH. I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE CHURCH AND PARKED. A FEW SECONDS AFTER I PARKED, I BEGAN SEEING LOTS OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THE POLICE MEN WHO WERE IN THE PARKING LOT DIRECTING TRAFFIC ASKED ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR QUICKLY AND BEGAN ATTEMPTING TO QUENCH THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. SHORTLY AFTER, THE DEKALB FIRE DEPT ARRIVED AND FOUGHT TO PUT OUT AND CONTAIN THE FIRE. IT WAS THEN TOWED TO THE TOW YARD. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY RIGHT AWAY AND AFTER A FEW DAYS OF INVESTIGATION, UNFORTUNATELY, MY CAR WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. NEXT DAY, I CHECKED MY VIN # TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS BY KIA THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF, BUT THE RESULTS CAME BACK SAYING 'NO RECORDS' AND '0 RECALLS FOUND'. ON 1/15/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 12.50PM, I CONTACTED KIA CORPORATE AND FILED A COMPLAINT AND I WAS INFORMED WHEN I GAVE MY STATEMENT OVER THE PHONE THAT THERE WAS AN ' OPEN CAMPAIGN PI 1802 ECU UPGRADE' AND AS ADVISED BY THE KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP THAT HE WILL BE FORWARDING MY COMPLAINT TO A THE NATIONAL DEPT AND THEY WILL GET BACK TO ME. A KIA REP ASHLEY CONTACTED ME AND ADVISED KIA ENGINEERS WILL LIKE TO INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER 3 WEEKS OF WAITING, THE REP CONTACTED ME STATING THEY WILL LIKE TO PAY OFF REMAINING BAL ON MY CAR, AND PERSONAL ITEMS. THEY WILL NOT HELP ME WITH GETTING ANOTHER CAR AND I DECLINED BECAUSE I LOST EVERYTHING AND INCURRED A GREATER DAMAGE. THEN THE KIA REP WROTE ME STATING THAT THEY ILL NO LONGER PURSUE INVESTIGATING SINCE I REFUSED ACCEPTING $1001 MY LEFT OVER BALANCE OWED TO THE LENDER. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED ON HOW KIA HAS TREATED ME LEAVING ME HANGING AFTER SUCH A GREAT LOSS. I AM SEEKING LEGAL ACTIONS SINCE KIA HAS REFUSED TO COME TO A SUITABLE RESOLUTION.