What 258 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Forte Koup

ON SATURDAY MARCH 30, 2019, I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE 110 NORTH HIGHWAY ( CALIFORNIA) WITH MY ONLY SON , MY MOTHER AND MY BOYFRIEND , I WAS GETTING SIGNALED TO PULL OVER BY OTHER DRIVERS AT THAT VERY MOMENT MY CAR STALLED AND HEAVY DARK SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT OF AIR VENT , MY BOYFRIEND SHOUTED FOR US TO GET OUT OF THE CAR QUICK , MY MOTHER IS DISABLED AND USES A WALKER TO WALK WE HAD TO MAKE SURE SHE GOT OUT FIRST , AS WE STARTED TO RUN FROM THE CAR I TURNED AROUND AND NOTICED A FIRE UNDER MY CAR ( I WAS DRIVING LIKE THAT , UNKNOWINGLY) MY CAR WENT INTO FLAMES WITHIN MINUTES AND IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I HAVE PROVIDED PICTURES FOR YOU REVIEW, I WAS VERY AFRAID FOR NOT ONLY MY LIFE BUT MY FAMILIES LIFE, IT CROSSED MY MIND THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE, IF THESE DOORS DON'T OPEN .

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 72 MPH, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL TOW LOT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

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I WAS BROADSIDED BY A CAR THAT RAN A STOP SIGN AS I WAS DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION ON A CITY STREET. THE COLLISION KNOCKED ME UP ONTO THE CURB AND INTO A SHORT BLOCK WALL. THE HIT WAS SO HARD THAT IT BENT THE FRAME OF MY CAR AT THE MID-LINE AND EVEN BENT THE ROOF OF MY VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. I WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT AS THE HIT WAS SO HARD AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO CUSHION THE BLOW.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA FORTE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS SLOWLY DRIVING INTO AN INTERSECTION, THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED INTO BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SIDE AND FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT DETECTED A BURNING ODOR FROM THE BACK SEAT. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS NOT DETERMINED. BOTH POLICE AND FIRE REPORTS WERE FILED. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA FORTE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE ROAD SHOULDER. THE CONTACT UNLATCHED THE HOOD AND FOUND FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SOMEONE STOPPED AND ASSISTED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND LOCAL POLICE ARRIVED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID NOT DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION AND WAS AWAITING TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

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AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A SINGLE-CAR FRONT END COLLISION. THE DRIVER FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ON INTERSTATE 195 IN SWANSEA MA. THE CAR LEFT THE ROADWAY TO THE LEFT AT HIGHWAY SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH) AND CRASHED INTO THE WOODED MEDIAN. THE CAR FRONT END WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CRUMPLED, BUT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS

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OUR CAR WAS ROLLED END OVER END AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ALL. MY SON WAS DRIVING SWERVED TO AVOID A DEER AND GOT INTO A GRAVEL AREA AND WENT DOWN A RAVINE AS THE CAR ENDED UP ROLLING END OVER END (NOSE DOWN REER END UP SO ON AND SO FORTH) THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ALL. I CALLED KIA AND THEY WILL NOT EXPLAIN TO ME HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE AIRBAGS DIDNT DEPLOY.

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I WAS DRIVING 45 ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD STOPPED DEAD IN MY LANE I HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE TO STOP BUT WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES I FELT THE ANTILOCK BRAES VIBRATE TWICE AND THEN IT FELT LIKE I WAS STILL GOING THE SAME SPEED NOT SLOWING ME DOWN (I HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL WHEN I FINALLY STOPPED).RESULTING IN ME STRIKING THE CAR AND TOTALING MINE AND HIS. WITNESSES SAID IT LOOKED LIKE I HAD APPLIED THE BRAKES IN PLENTY OF TIME BUT DIDN'T STOP. I DID NOT KNOW HE HAD STOPPED BECAUSE HE HAD HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM WHICH HAD PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD . THIS WAS A 4 CAR ACCIDENT CAR 2 HIT CAR 1 AND THEN CAR 3 HIT CAR 2 LEAVING CAR 3 SITTING IN ROAD WHICH I HIT CAR 3. ALL BECAUSE CAR 2 WAS LOOKING AT A ACCIDENT IN MEDIAN. I ASKED TO HAVE CAR BRAKES CHECKED AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST TO MUCH TO HIRE ENGINEERS TO CHECK OVER.

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THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AS I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE IN MARCH OF 2016. I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND BEGAN TO PUSH THE GAS TO BACK OUT. THE CAR ENGINE REVVED LOUDLY AND THE CAR SHOT OUT OF THE GARAGE. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THINKING I POSSIBLY HAD MY FOOT ON THE WRONG PEDAL (EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE), I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FEET AND VERIFIED THAT MY FOOT WAS INDEED ON THE BRAKE AND NOT THE GAS PEDAL. I THEN PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR STILL DID NOT SLOW DOWN; IT CONTINUED TO PICK UP SPEED. AT THIS POINT, I HAD GONE DOWN MY DRIVEWAY ACROSS THE STREET AND WAS IN MY NEIGHBORS' DRIVEWAY HEADED TOWARD THEIR HOUSE. THEN, I TRIED PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK AND THAT STILL DID NOT STOP OR EVEN SLOW DOWN THE CAR. IT JUST MADE A TERRIBLE NOISE. MY NEXT STEP WOULD HAVE BEEN TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, BUT I HAD ALREADY HIT THE OUTSIDE WALL OF MY NEIGHBORS' GARAGE AND THAT IS WHEN THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED AND BEGAN IDLING NORMALLY. I TOWED IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THEY RAN TESTS ON THE BRAKES, THROTTLE, ETC. AND FOUND NO ABNORMALITIES. WHEN I ASKED WHAT INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM THE CONTROL MODULE, I WAS TOLD THAT NO HISTORY CODES WERE SHOWN. SO, ACCORDING TO THEM THERE WAS NO RECORD OF ME BRAKING OR THE CAR ACCELERATING. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE. I ASKED TWICE FOR COPIES OF THE ACTUAL TESTS AND DATA THAT WAS DOWNLOADED FROM THE CONTROL MODULE, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE THEM. I WAS TOLD THE INFORMATION WAS TYPED WORD FOR WORD IN THE SUMMARY SECTION OF THE RECEIPT. I AM NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW CAR, SINCE I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS ONE AND EXPRESSED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. HOW CAN THEY ALLOW A CAR BACK ON THE ROAD WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR WHY IT ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY? I'M BAFFLED BY THIS. UNFORTUNATELY, MY STORY IS NOT UNIQUE.

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ON 1/15/2016, I HIT A MASSIVE 10-POINT BUCK (DEER) HEAD ON. IT WAS STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY, AND I DROVE INTO IT DOING 65 MPH. THE FRONT OF MY CAR SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE; THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS PUSHED BACK AND THE HOOD WAS BENT BACK TO THE WINDSHIELD. YET, MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE WORKED AS A PARAMEDIC/FF FOR OVER 15 YEARS, AND I HAVE WORKED HUNDREDS OF ACCIDENT SCENES. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW... THIS AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILED. WITH THE FRONT END DAMAGE THAT MY CAR SUSTAINED, THAT AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO KIA WITH NO RESPONSE, SO PERHAPS THE NHTSA CAN FORCE KIA TO FIX THIS. BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME FATALITIES IF THIS ISN'T FIXED.

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"TAKATA RECALL" I WAS TRAVELING AT 45 MILES PER HOUR WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE MADE AN ONCOMING LEFT TURN INTO MY LANE, CAUSING A COLLISION. I HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON WITH HER FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS? *JS

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DRIVER WAS IN MIDDLE LANE DRIVING AROUND 55 MPH. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CAR BEGAN FLIPPING WHILE STILL IN THE ROADWAY, EVENTUALLY HIT A GUARD RAIL AND CONTINUED FLIPPING. DRIVER WAS EJECTED AND KILLED. AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED...UPDATED 11/13/15 *BF .....UPDATED 12/23/15 *BF UPDATED 1/11/2015*JS UPDATED 9/17/2017*CN

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