KIA K4 Incident

On April [XXX], 2026, the customer called Kia’s Customer Care Center to report that her 2025MY Kia K4 was involved in an incident, the airbags did not deploy, and the cruise control allegedly “failed.” Specifically, the customer indicated that she was asleep and her husband was driving the vehicle when “the cruise control was set for safe driving and it failed,” the vehicle in front of them abruptly stopped, and the brakes did not engage. The customer added that her husband “had to fight the steering wheel to be able to jerk the wheel” and the “steering assist was the only thing that worked but it was working against us.” The customer reported that the police had told them they were not maintaining a safe distance. In addition, the customer noted that they were suing the “other people” [i.e., the vehicle in front] because “they slammed on their brakes.” The customer reported that she was transported to the hospital with “whiplash,” injuries to her abdominals and chest, and a concussion. Her husband allegedly received whiplash and injuries from his “neck down to his ankles” and went to the hospital later the same day. The customer requested a vehicle replacement. The subject Kia K4 is equipped with Lane Following Assist (“LFA”) and Smart Cruise Control (“SCC”). LFA is a supplemental system that helps to detect lane markings and/or vehicles on the road and assists the driver's steering to help keep the vehicle between lanes. SCC is a supplemental system that detects a vehicle ahead and can help maintain the distance from the vehicle ahead and the set speed. The functionality of LFA and SCC are contingent upon several outside factors, and it is always the responsibility of the driver to safely steer the vehicle, to maintain the vehicle in its lane, and to maintain the vehicle’s speed. According to vehicle data, the subject K4 had LFA and SCC activated. However, LFA was disengaged about one (1) second pre-crash because the driver sharply turned the steering wheel (112.9 degrees). Kia is currently working to obtain additional information.