NHTSA Complaint #11389650 — 2020 KIA SOUL

I WAS ON A TWO-HOUR DRIVE WHEN THE CAR STARTED MAKING ODD NOISES AND THE AUTOMATIC GEARS DID NOT SEEM TO BE SYNCING/SHIFTING CORRECTLY WITH MY ACCELERATION. I HAD TO PULL OVER OFF THE HIGHWAY SEVERAL TIMES. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THAT'S WHEN IT STARTED TO GET REALLY BAD. I WAS OVER AN HOUR AWAY FROM HOME DRIVING UP TO A COURTHOUSE TO FILE A PETITION THAT WAS ON A DEADLINE. SO I CALLED THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I ASKED THEM IF IT WAS SAFE TO KEEP DRIVING AND WHETHER THE ENGINE WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. THE MAN WITH WHOM I SPOKE SAID HE KNEW WHAT WAS PROBABLY WRONG WITH THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS NOT "UNCOMMON" BUT HE COULD NOT TELL ME ANY DETAILS BECAUSE OF THE "WARRANTY." HOWEVER, HE SAID I WAS SAFE TO KEEP DRIVING. I WAS NOT, IN FACT, SAFE TO KEEP DRIVING. THE TRANSMISSION DIED WHEN I WAS GOING 75MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR IS NOW IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN BURLINGTON, NC, WAITING FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT IS NOW ON BACKORDER. THIS WAS A BRAND NEW CAR, AND IT LITERALLY ALMOST KILLED ME. THE MAN AT THE SERVICE BARELY BATTED AN EYE. YOU WOULD THINK I WAS GETTING MY OIL CHANGED. I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MATTER-OF-FACT HE WAS WHEN HE DESCRIBED HOW "COMMON" THIS PROBLEM IS IN THE NEW KIAS. THIS SHOULD NOT EVER BE A "COMMON PROBLEM" FOR ANY BRAND NEW VEHICLE. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INFURIATING AND COMPLETELY DISTURBING. I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY PAPERWORK ON THIS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD ME PICKED UP BY ENTERPRISE AND GAVE ME LITERALLY NOTHING. I WILL BE CALLING THEM TOMORROW MORNING WHEN THEY OPEN TO REQUEST THIS DOCUMENTATION.