2016 Kia Soul

PURCHASED CAR WITH DEALER PROMISE TO FIX BOTH DOORS. FIXED ONE AND IGNORED MY MANY REQUESTS TO FIX IT. DOOR DOESN'T CLOSE, MANAGER SAID IT WAS FROM SEATBELT. IT ACTUALLY HAD BEEN BROKEN INTO BEFORE PURCHASE WHICH HE DENIED. KEPT CHANGING STORY. LED ME TO A MENTAL BREAKDOWN. STILL LIES AND REFUSES TO HELP. BELITTLES, DEHUMANIZES AN INSULTS ME. THREATENS ME WITH EVEN WORSE TREATMENT. ACCUSED ME OF HAVING PERSONAL VENDETTA AND SUDDENLY MY HOUSE IS IN FORECLOSURE HE HAS INFLUENCED TOWN HALL. CHAD BOUCHARD TOLD ME HE KNOWS A GIRL WHO WORKS THERE AFTER I FILED POLICE REPORT. HE WANTED MORE INFO, ILLEGALLY. FOR OVER A YEAR I'VE BEGGED FOR HELP. I HAVE PHOTOS FROM SITE WITH 1 PHOTO FROM AN ALMOST IDENTICAL CAR WITHOUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE BASHED IN BUT THE DAMAGE SHOWING THAT THE OTHER DOOR DOESN'T CLOSE. THEY REFUSE TO LET ME SPEAK TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE OWNERS SON WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE PICTURES OF CAR BEFORE DAMAGE. HE HAS NOT DONE SO BECAUSE THEY DON'T EXIST. ODDLY, AFTER THIS TRANSACTION THE SALESMAN NO LONGER WORKS THERE. DON'T KNOW WHERE IT HAPPENED THEY PASSED THE INSPECTION AT THE DEALERSHIP. SHADY! I TURNED DOWN THE INSURANCE MONEY ONCE CHAD ACCIDENTALLY ADMITTED TO DAMAGE. RAIN AND ICE GET IN. I CAN HEAR WIND, WHISTLING AND IT RATTLES. I BELIEVE THEY BANDAIDED IT BECAUSE DOOR DID CLOSE DURING TEST DRIVE, I BELIEVE. SALESMAN ONLY LET ME DRIVE IT LESS THAN A MILE. I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR THAT I PAID OVER $11,500 FOR. I CAN'T SELL IT, TRADED IN, ETC. NOT SURE IF IT WILL PASS INSPECTION.

MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE WHOLE CAR IS DAMAGED. THERE IS NO FRONT THE INTERIOR IS GONE. I HAVE STARTED A CASE WITH KIA. MY VEHICLE WAS GOING UP A HILL ABOUT 30 MINKES AN HOUR WHEN IT STARTED SMOKING. IT WAS PULLED OVER AND THE HOOD WAS POPPED. THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. SOON THE WHOLE FRONT AND MIDDLE OF THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THIS WAS AT 14000 JERICHO STREET AT THE ENTRANCE OF BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY IN BOWIE MD. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE CALLED.*DT*JB*DT*DT

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND HAD JUST PULLED ONTO THE INTERSTATE AND HE HEARD A "POP" SOUND, SO HE PULLED OVER TO CHECK IT OUT. WHEN HE GOT OUT AND OPENED THE HOOD THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE AND ENGULFED THE WHOLE CAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING ANYTHING WAS WRONG PRIOR TO HIM HEARING THE SOUND. IT NEVER LOST POWER, NEVER HAD ANY SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, NEVER A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, OVER HEATING LIGHT, LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT, NOTHING. IT WAS RUNNING 100% FINE. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS, AND I AM JUST THANKFUL HE STOPPED AND GOT OUT AND IS SAFE AND DID NOT HAVE OUR CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH HIM AT THE TIME THIS OCCURED.

THE CRASH AT ABOUT 2:30AM EARLY TUESDAY MORNING ON NOV. 24, 2020, ON HER WAY HOME FROM HER NEARBY 2ND SHIFT JOB, MY WIFE'S 2016 KIA SOL WAS HIT HARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY A CAR BEING PURSUED BY POLICE. LUCKILY, AND POSSIBLY BECAUSE MY WIFE IS SHORT AND SITS HIGH, SHE APPEARS UNINJURED ALTHOUGH VISIBLY SHAKEN AND VERY NERVOUS ABOUT NIGHT DRIVING. MY WIFE HAD PULLED HER CAR OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE 4+ LANE ROAD WHEN SHE HEARD SIRENS. WHILE PULLED OVER WITH THE CAR RUNNING AND HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE PERPETRATOR'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PUSHED HER CAR SEVERAL FEET FURTHER TO THE RIGHT, CRUMPLING THE DOORS AND BREAKING OFF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL AND SUSPENSION FROM THE IMPACT. THE POLICE REPORT SHOWED THAT THE PERPETRATOR'S VEHICLE APPROACHED HER CAR FROM THE FRONT LEFT, BUT THE VEHICLE HIT THE VERY SHORT KIA SQUARELY AND ONLY IN THE TWO DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OR REAR FENDERS. CLEARLY NOT SIDESWIPED WHERE THE ENTIRE SIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. ALLSTATE INSURANCE TOTALED THE CAR AND PHOTOS FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND TOWING YARD ARE ATTACHED, AS IS THE POLICE REPORT. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED! NONE OF THE KIA'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN LATE 2015 AND IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SERVICED SINCE THEN AT THE ORIGINAL KIA DEALER. THEY RECENTLY UPDATED THE CAR'S COMPUTER UNDER A KIA RECALL. ON DEC. 4, 2020, I CONTACTED THE KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER (KAYLEE C AT 949-468-4689) AND ASKED WHY THE AIRBAGS FAILED. AFTER LOOKING AT PHOTOS I SENT HER AND FROM THE COPART LOT, SHE QUICKLY SAID THE CAR WAS "SIDESWIPED AND NOT HIT HARD ENOUGH TO DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS". HER RESPONSE WAS PROTECTING KIA LINE AS ANY REVIEW OF THE PHOTOS SHOWS THAT HE CAR WAS HIT FROM THE SIDE VERY HARD AND NOT SIDESWIPED. I ASK THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AS IT'S UNLIKELY THAT ONLY MY VEHICLE HAS THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL FLAW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SOUL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE VEHICLE BECAME FLOODED WITH WATER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS WATER DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MOISTURE WAS EVIDENT ON THE INSIDE WINDSHIELD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HOLLYWOOD KIA LOCATED AT 6011 PEMBROKE RD, HOLLYWOOD, FL 33023, (954) 967-5665, TO BE INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CARPET, UNDERLAYMENT, AND UPHOLSTERY SHOWED SIGNS OF MOLD. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT WATER ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE DOOR SEAL GASKET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. AN INSURANCE CLAIM WAS FILED UNDER CLAIM NUMBER: 334243420. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE, CASE NUMBER: 13504218. NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

CAR WAS IN GOOD CONDITION AND WELL MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE SCHEDULE. IT WAS LAST SERVICED ON 7/31/18 WHEN IT PASSED NYS INSPECTION. THE OWNER WAS INFORMED ON 9/18/18 @ 7:03 PM BY DAUGHTER THAT CAR STARTED MAKING A STRANGE SOUND ON 9/17/18. PLANNED TO HAVE DEALER CHECK OUT CAR ON 9/19/18. ON 9/18/18 @ APPROXIMATELY 8:35 PM, WHILE BEING DRIVEN ON THE LOCAL PORTION OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE CAR'S OIL LIGHT BLINKED ON AND OFF. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE CAR ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE AND SMOKE CAME INTO THE CAR THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. THE DRIVER, MY DAUGHTER'S BOYFRIEND, PULLED OVER INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE, TURNED OFF THE CAR, GOT OUT, STEPPED AWAY FROM IT AND THE ENGINE ERUPTED IN FLAMES. BY APPROXIMATELY 8:50 PM THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CAR LOOKS LIKE IT WAS FIRE BOMBED.

ON 2/18/17 MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION IN OUR 2016 KIA SOUL. SHE STRUCK A STOPPED TOYOTA CAROLLA AT OVER 45MPH ON SOUTHBOUND I-5 IN SEATTLE WA. THIS WAS A DIRECT FRONT END COLLISION AND THE AIRBAGS IN THE KIA SOUL DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE METAL BUMPER BAR WAS COMPLETELY BENT IN A "V" SHAPE BACK BEYOND THE RADIATOR. KIA USA FIRST CLAIMED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO UNDER RIDING. SENT THEM DAYTIME PHOTOS FROM THE NEXT DAY WHEN WE VISITED THE CAR TO REMOVE PERSONAL ITEMS AND THEY CHANGED THE STORY TO "THE AIR BAG SENSORS ARE IN THE CONNECTING PILLARS SO THIS STILL WOULD NOT HAVE TRIGGERED THE AIR BAGS. KIA USA IS ACCEPTING NO FAULT AND IT TAKING NO ACTION. BASED ON MY RESEARCH, THIS COLLISION SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS AS BOTH FRONT SEATS WERE OCCUPIED BY ADULTS AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. MY HOPE IS YOU CAN USE THIS INFORMATION AND MY PHOTOS TO INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION AND RESOLVE IT WITH KIA. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW WE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF ONE OF THE CARS MAIN SAFETY FEATURES, FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS. I HAVE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND A VIDEO THAT I AM WILLING TO SHARE IF YOU WOULD LIKE THEM. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] *DL INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*JB