2020 Kia Forte

MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS THE DRIVER. THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, FACING THE DIRECTION SHE WANTED TO GO. THE STREET WENT DOWNHILL IN FRONT OF HER. SHE STARTED THE CAR. WHEN SHE BEGAN TO DRIVE, THE STEERING FELT VERY STIFF, SHE COULD BARELY STEER. SHE STARTED DRIVING ANYWAY. THEN THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. IN FACT, SHE SAID THAT PRESSING THE BRAKE SEEMED TO MAKE THE CAR GO FASTER (OR THIS COULD HAVE JUST BEEN THE EFFECT OF THE HILL). SO SHE ACCELERATED DOWN A SUBSTANTIAL HILL WITH NO BRAKING POWER. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STREET (APPROX. 1/4 MILE) IS A T-INTERSECTION. SHE CROSSED THE STREET, THE CAR WENT UP ONTO THE CURB OPPOSITE, PROCEEDED THROUGH SOME BUSHES, KNOCKED DOWN A FENCE AS IT WENT BETWEEN A TREE AND A BRICK WALL, RAN INTO A BIRD BATH, AND THEN CAME TO A STOP IN SOMEONE'S YARD. FORTUNATELY THE CAR STOPPED BEFORE IT GOT TO THE HOUSE ITSELF. DAMAGE INCLUDED: BOTH BUMPERS, BOTH DRIVER-SIDE TIRES/WHEELS/HUBCAPS, AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE UNDERNEATH INCLUDING TRANSMISSION.DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE (AMAZINGLY) NOT INJURED.

ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2020, I WAS AT A STOP AND NEEDED TO GO NORTHBOUND ON A BUSY INTERSECTION. I SAW THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO SO I STEPPED ON THE GAS BUT MY VEHICLE WOULD BARELY ACCELERATE WHICH PUT ME IN HARMS WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. FOR A MOMENT THERE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET T-BONED. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO GET RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

I WAS TURNING LEFT THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT ONTO A CITY ROAD WHEN A CAR COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE RAN A RED LIGHT GOING 50 MILES AN HOUR IN A 35 MILES AN HOUR ROAD, CRASHING INTO THE SIDE OF MY CAR. IT HIT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND DOOR, BUT WAS HIT SO HARD THAT MY CAR MOVED FORWARD ABOUT 8 - 10 FEET. MY CAR IS SUPPOSE TO HAVE SENSOR DIRECTLY WHERE THE OTHER PERSON CAR HIT MINE BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS WENT OFF. EVEN THOUGH THIS CAR IS SUPPOSE TO HAVE SIDE AIRBAGS FOR THOSE TYPES OF COLLISIONS.

WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS POPPED UP ON THE DASHBOARD: ELECTRONIC PWR STEERING, ELECTRONIC STABILITY INDICATOR, TPMS TIRE PRESSURE, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP, AUTONOMUS EMERGENCY BRAKE, ADAPTIVE FRONT LIGHTING , AND LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHTS. AT THE SAME TIME THAT ALL THOSE LIGHTS TURNED ON (WHILE IN MOTION) THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STOPPED REGISTERING SPEED AND DROPPED TO ZERO ON BOTH GAUGES ALONG WITH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AS WELL. I PROCEEDED TO PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND PULL OVER SAFELY. ONCE STATIONARY I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, THEN THE GEAR SHIFT LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF BEING STATIONARY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE GEAR SHIFT, PLACE IT IN DRIVE AND PROCEED DOWN THE ROAD. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION THE WARNING LIGHTS PROCEEDED TO STAY ON AND THE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER WERE NOT REGISTERING SPEED THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF MY TRIP.