NHTSA Complaint #11491971 — 2022 KIA EV6

I had driven the car for about 80 miles on a mix of urban expressway, parkway, and city streets, when inexplicably the "frunk lid" (or hood) released itself from the fully closed position to the "ajar" position. That is the position that the lid would assume if you pulled the inside release. To open fully, one must manually release the "safety catch," after which it would open fully. As soon as the lid moved from fully closed to slightly open, a warning symbol appeared on the dashboard accompanied by a frenzied warning chime. I was in traffic and stopped as soon as it was safe to do so, about a quarter mile or possibly a half mile ahead. During this time the vehicle seemed sluggish. Just before the stop, my passenger pointed out that the relatively small and discreet "Parking Brake" warning was also illuminated. Right after I stopped, I shut the lid as I normally would, and it stayed shut. Then my attention was drawn to the rear of the car, where light smoke was emanating from the wheels and a "burning rubber" odor was prominent. The brakes had become very hot from my short drive seeking a safe place to stop. I believe it is unsafe to have a vehicle apply the parking brake on its own with no way to release the parking brake without stopping. I believe that if the vehicle had applied the parking brake on its own at speed on an ice- or snow-covered road, or possibly even on a wet road, the rear tires would have locked up, causing the vehicle to enter an uncontrollable spin. I believe that if the vehicle had applied the parking brake on its own on a long downhill mountainous road without a nearby safe stopping location, the extreme heat generated could cause serious damage to the vehicle. The vehicle is scheduled to be inspected by a dealer tomorrow. At the moment it seems to operate normally, but note that itis an electric vehicle, and almost all of the braking activity is performed by regenerative braking and not using mechanical brakes.