In recent years, car manufacturers have implemented numerous pieces of technology into their vehicles to make them safer.
Some of this has been spurred by legislation. For example, as of May 2018, all new vehicles sold in the United States must have a backup camera, and by 2029, all new cars will be required to have automatic braking systems in place.
Although the intention of features like these is to make driving safer, some have found them to have the opposite effect. For example, one Audi driver claimed that their car’s ‘pre-sense’ feature nearly led to an accident.
Given this, even though the full implementation of this technology is expected to save hundreds of lives, some have claimed that they are not a fan of this technology as it currently stands. One such person is TikTok user Summer Edeen (@hellosummeredeen), who recently garnered over 478,000 views after sharing her distaste for the automatic braking feature.
What’s wrong with Kia’s automatic braking?
In her video, Edeen says she has a 2023 Kia Sportage. While she says she enjoys many of the features of the car, she says her experience with the vehicle makes her want to “never buy another Kia.”
According to her, the automatic braking feature, both forward and backward, is subject to a host of issues.
“It cannot tell between a shadow, a person, a piece of grass, [or] a little raindrop on the camera,” she states. “The cameras suck, so when you’re backing up, it slams on the brakes, scaring you and any other driver that is driving the vehicle.”
“If you’re backing up and it detects somebody, like, 50 feet away? Slams on the brakes,” she continues. “It’s terrible.”
While she acknowledges that the feature can be disabled in settings, she says that it turns itself back on once the car has been restarted, making her go through a mess of menus every time she wants to turn it off again.
“I want to be able to dictate whether or not I want automatic features,” she says. “I want to be driving my car, OK?”
@hellosummeredeen @Kia America please allow owners to turn this feature off im begging you #kia #kiasportage ♬ original sound – SUMMER EDEEN
Is there something wrong with her car?
While other internet users have made comparable claims about Kia’s system, many have also stated that their system works perfectly, leading some to speculate that Edeen’s car could simply be malfunctioning.
“i have this feature in my new kia and works really well and in real situations,” said a user. “I think it could be that your Kia might be a lemon car as in a faulty one. I feel that should get it checked by a dealer.”
“My Honda’s automatic breaking has only ever saved me from hitting things,” added another.
That said, some commenters say they’ve had similar experiences and that they were not unique to Kia.
“Dude yes, I was backing into a parking spot and there were bushes and the way my explorer SLAMMED the breaks on. I thought a concrete wall had jumped out of nowhere, lord Jesus,” wrote a commenter. “It’s not just Kia.”
“I had a Seltos for ten months. The steering assist is too harsh. Having the steering wheel do hard jerk in any direction while driving on the highway is terrifying,” stated another. “My new cars assist is more subtle.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Kia and Edeen via email.
Update 4:05pm ET Nov. 13: In an email to the Daily Dot, Edeen said that the technology “is needing some work.”
“Its sensors are often inaccurate and the actual braking is very intense,” she explained. “I have checked with the dealership and confirmed there is no way to turn this feature off and that my system is operating correctly.”
While she noted that the feature could be helpful for some, she stated that she felt she was better off without it.
“For someone who has been in one accident in her whole life (a fender bender at the age of 16 that was a good lesson for me), and who considers herself a great driver, I would rather have control over my car than the system,” she detailed. “It really does seem like it could be more dangerous. I’ve had my brakes slammed on in the middle of the intersection when I had plenty of room between me and the car ahead. It also locks your breaks until you press down on the break pedal again.”
Not all of the features of this nature are bad, however.
“I use the active lane assist in this car a lot and think that feature is great, but the active assist for forwards and backwards is not good,” she concluded.
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