NHTSA Complaint #745712 — 2000 KIA SPORTAGE

WHEN THIS FRONT END SYSTEM PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR, I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TO TRY TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS BEING BLOWN ACROSS THE ROAD AS THOUGH A GUSTING HEAVY WIND WAS PUSHING THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN IT WOULD FEEL AS THOUGH THE WHEELS WERE GOING TO COME OFF OF THE CAR. THE POWER BRAKES ALSO LOST POWER AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR, AND THE THE STEERING BECAME MORE DIFFICULT BECAISE THE CAR WAS JUST PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I WAS TERRIFIED AT DRIVING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS AND WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY AT A VERY SLOW RATE OF SPEED AND WAS ABLE TO PARK THE CAR IN A PARKING GARAGE UNTIL IT WAS TOWED TO A KIA DEALERSHIP IN PHILADELPHIA PA. (VALUE KIA). THE KIA DEALERSHIP THEN APPARENTLY FIXED MY CAR, BUT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE DEALER USED OLD RECALLED PARTS TO REPAIR MY CAR AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED TEN DAYS LATER. THE DEALER IN OHIO. COURTESY AUTOWORLD DISCOVERED UPON MY PROMPTING THEM TO CHECK THE WORK DONE AT VALUE KIA, WAS DISCOVERED TO BE DONE IMPROPERLY USING BAD UNAUTHORIZED PARTS TO REPAIR MY CAR AT THE TIME. THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH IN MY ESTIMATION CAN CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY. THE KIA CORP. NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AND ALSO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF USING BAD UNAUTHORIZED PARTS TO FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM, BECAUSE USUNG THOSE PARTS ONLY INCREASED THE CHANCE OF THIS HAPPENING TO THE VEHICLE. THERE MAY BE THOUSANDS OF CARS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DEFECT.*AK