NHTSA Complaint #11311499 — 2014 KIA SORENTO

MY VEHICLE HAS AUTOMATIC LOCKING DOORS AND WILL LOCK AUTOMATICALLY WHEN SHIFTING THE SUV FROM PARK INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE AND THEN WILL UNLOCK ONCE PLACED BACK IN PARK. HOWEVER RECENTLY THIS FUNCTION STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER AND THE LOCKS ON THE DOORS WILL NO LONGER LOCK WHEN SHIFTING THE CAR FROM PARK INTO ANOTHER GEAR CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE. FURTHERMORE, DUE TO THIS ELECTRICAL/SAFETY ISSUE THE LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE DOOR NO LONGER WORKS AND AS WELL DUE TO THE SAME ISSUE. NOR CAN I LOCK THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY FOB. IN GOOGLING THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND OUT THOUSANDS OF OTHER KIA OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND THE ONLY REMEDY FROM KIA IS TO REPLACE A $1500 COMPUTER AS IN MANUFACTURING THEY SOLDERED A $3 RELAY SWITCH ONTO THE COMPUTER BOARD AND THEY WILL NOT /CANNOT REPLACE THE FAULTY RELAY THAT SEEMS TO BE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. HENCE THIS IS THE REASON WHY I AM REACHING OUT TO THE NHTSA AS I FEEL THAT THIS IS A ELECTRICAL /SAFETY ISSUE AND THE ONLY WAY TO LOCK MY VEHICLE SECURELY IS TO WALK AROUND THE VEHICLE AND LOCK EACH DOOR INDIVIDUALLY. PLEASE HELP ME AND THE OTHER THOUSAND OF KIA OWNERS WHOM ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM.