NHTSA complaint: 2014 KIA FORTE — STRUCTURE:BODY
I WAS IN A THREE VEHICLE ACCIDENT AS THE THIRD CAR. I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND IN TURN CAUSED THAT VEHICLE TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. I HAD THE BRAKES PRESSED DOWN ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND STILL COULDN'T STOP IN TIME TO PREVENT IMPACT, THERE WERE NOT EVEN ANY SKID MARKS ON THE PAVEMENT. THE IMPACT WAS SO STRONG THAT MY BACK SEATS FOLDED DOWN AND THE THINGS I HAD IN MY TRUNK FLEW FORWARD AND HIT THE BACK OF THE DRIVER SEAT. I HAD GLASS BOTTLES OF DRINKS IN THE TRUNK AND THEY WERE ALL BUSTED IN THE FLOORBOARD FROM BEING THROWN THROUGH THE BACK SEAT THAT FOLDED DOWN. FIRE AND RESCUE HAD TO OPEN MY DOOR TO LET ME OUT OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE I TRIED TO GET OUT AND COULDN'T PRY THE DOOR OPEN. TO ME THAT IS A HARD IMPACT, I WAS INJURED AND STILL SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION. MY CONCERN IS WITH A FRONTAL IMPACT OF SUCH FORCE, NONE OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED! MY ACCIDENT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED AND I AM HURT BUT I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. LUCKILY I WAS WEARING MY SAFETY BELT BECAUSE MY AIRBAGS CERTAINLY DIDN'T PROTECT ME. I MADE A COMPLAINT WITH KIA AND THERE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME..."MA'AM WITH YOUR VEHICLE, YOU HAVE "SMART AIRBAGS" THEY ONLY DEPLOY IN A CATASTROPHIC EVENT." HOW CAN THE CAR TELL WHAT IS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT...MY 8 YEAR OLD COULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT BACK SEAT THAT FOLDED OR EVEN MY NEWBORN NIECE THAT I CARE FOR, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN NOT ONLY CATASTROPHIC BUT FATAL!!! WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? PLEASE HELP, I DON'T WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO SUFFER.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation