NHTSA complaint: 2023 KIA SPORTAGE — AIR BAGS
The contact owned a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle hydroplaned all 3 lanes on the highway. The vehicle hit a retaining wall, the vehicle bounced back, spun around, and faced oncoming traffic head-on. An oversized trailer crashed into the contact's vehicle head-on and pushed the vehicle into the middle lane, where it came to a stop. The driverâs and passengerâs side air bags did not deploy. Unknown if any warning lights were illuminated. However, the vehicle's system contacted 911. A police report was filed. The contact was taken to the hospital via ambulance due to sustaining severe injuries to the left shoulder, collapsed lung, chest abrasions, nerve damage to the abdominal area, nerve damage to the lower back, and a brain injury. The contact recently had surgery on her left shoulder. The vehicle was towed to a local towing yard. The insurance company was contacted and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The contact hired an attorney who hired an engineer to check the black box inside the vehicle and found that nothing was recorded. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.Â
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation