| Issue ID | 734676 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10280202 |
| Manufacurer | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC |
| Brand | KIA |
| Model | SPECTRA |
| Model Year | 2007 |
| File date | 27/07/09 |
| Component | AIR BAGS |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | 1. Two passengers (female 64 yr driver and female 13 yr old passenger) were proceeding down a residential road in a 2007 kia spectra at less than 20 mph. Halfway down the road, driver began to lightly apply the brake knowing that the stop sign was further down the road. At this moment the car revved and experienced sudden acceleration. The driver shouted out that something was wrong with the car. The driver attempted to stop the car but the brakes failed. The car accelerated to approximately 60 mph. Unable to stop, the car went through the stop sign and proceeded across the street towards a guard rail. Driver instinctively turned the wheel to the left so that the car would not hit the guard rail head on. The vehicle collided with the guard rail on the passenger side, throwing the driver into the passenger seat, where the other passenger was sitting. The driver hit her head hard on the passenger window and experienced other injuries as a result of being thrown from the driver seat. The air bags in the car failed to deploy. The car bounced off the guard rail and proceeded at full speed across the street again. The car ran over some small hedges in a resident's yard and proceeded up a steep hill before coming to a stop. The passenger of the car immediately dialed 911 and the police/ambulance arrived shortly after. 2. The car's electronic throttle is believed to be defective. This defect results in random episodes of sudden acceleration when the brakes are applied. Because the episodes are random, the problem is not easily duplicated. However, there are numerous documented cases of sudden acceleration in kia vehicles on the internet. 3. Vehicle was towed to a mechanic for investigation. Mechanic attempted a diagnostic test, but mechanic reported that the 2007 kia spectra is not sophisticated enough to apply such a test. Vehicle was then taken to the local kia dealership for further examination. Kia claims they are unable to duplicate the problem. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 14500 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | TAUNTON , MA |
| VIN pattern | KNAFE122875XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | Y |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | Y |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 1 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 60 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |