NHTSA Complaint #11374179 — 2016 KIA OPTIMA

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, DRIVING STRAIGHT IN LEFT LANE ON A CITY STREET IN EASTBOUND DIRECTION. ON ITS OWN, THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE WHILE TURNING TOWARDS THE LEFT SIMULTANEOUSLY. DRIVER WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH AND BASED ON AIR BAG MODULE, CAR SPED UP TO 55 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKE SEEMED TO BE LOCKED OR STUCK BECAUSE NEITHER COMPONENT WORKED WHILE THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. DRIVER TRIED TO PRESS THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN, BUT BRAKE WOULD NOT PRESS DOWN. ALSO TRIED TO TURN STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID ONCOMING WESTBOUND TRAFFIC, BUT STEERING WHEEL DID NOT WORK EITHER. DRIVER HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE CAR ACCELERATED AND VEERED LEFT FOR ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE UNTIL IT FINALLY HIT A CURB, THEN FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL, ROTOR, AND SUSPENSION BROKE. IT SEEMED AS IF CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE AFTER IT HIT THE CURB BECAUSE THERE ARE SKID MARKS FROM THE TIRES AFTER IMPACT. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED, THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WERE NO LONGER STUCK. THE STEERING WHEEL ROTATED PROPERLY AND BRAKE PEDAL PRESSED DOWN WITH EASE. BECAUSE OF BROKEN WHEEL, CAR WAS NOT OPERABLE AFTERWARD AND WAS TOWED TO COLLISION CENTER. COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND INSPECTION COMPLETED, BUT THEY SAID THEY DID NOT FIND ANY ERRORS WITH THE CAR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR ANY OTHER ERRORS. THE AIR BAG MODULE REPORT COINCIDES WITH THE MALFUNCTION CLAIM THAT I FILED WITH KIA ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, BUT KIA STATED THERE WEREN'T ANY ERROR CODES IN THE REPORT. AFTER REPAIRS AND INSPECTION WERE COMPLETED, I TRADED-IN THE VEHICLE OUT OF FEAR THAT THIS MALFUNCTION MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. SINCE AN ISSUE WASN'T FOUND WITH THE CAR, THAT MEANS THE ISSUE WASN'T FIXED AND I DIDN'T WANT TO OWN A MALFUNCTIONING VEHICLE.