NHTSA Complaint #11394889 — 2020 KIA SOUL

JUST PRIOR TO CHRISTMAS OF 2020 WAS THE FIRST TIME MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THE CAR WAS NOT EVEN A YEAR OUT FROM PURCHASE AND HAD LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT 'THERE'S A BAD ONE NOW AND THEN'. THEY SAID THEY HAD FIXED IT. TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE RPM STARTED FLUCTUATING AND SURGING EVEN WHEN I WASN'T PUSHING ON THE GAS. THE CAR THEN WOULD NOT SPEED UP WHEN I GAVE IT GAS TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC FLOW. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND CONTINUED TO SLOW. IT SLOWED SO MUCH THAT I WAS BARELY MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I COULD NOT CHANGE LANES BECAUSE I WAS IN THE FAR LANE AND IF I ATTEMPTED TO GET OVER I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE CARS PASSING. THIS WAS DURING RUSH HOUR I'M A MAJOR CITY. LUCKILY THERE WAS AN EXIT TO THE LEFT I WAS ABLE TO STEER OFF TO GET OFF HIGHWAY. I ATTEMPTED TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED ON THE EXIT RAMP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I WAS STUCK AND COULDN'T MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. I HAD TO CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO CLOSED THE RAMP LANE UNTIL I COULD BE TOWED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT IN MY 'NEW' CAR THAT I BOUGHT IN ORDER TO HAVE A MORE RELIABLE VEHICLE. I'M SERIOUSLY REGRETTING RID OF MY OLD VEHICLE. I SHOULD HAVE JUST FIXED IT. THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST PURCHASE OF MY LIFE. I HAVE BEEN SO AFRAID BOTH TIMES THIS CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN, BOTH TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD GET SOMEONE KILLED.