CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Clayton County woman says she was left without transportation for weeks after a major automaker determined her car was unsafe to drive due to a safety recall, until Channel 2 Action News began asking questions.
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Kayla Tapley, a Riverdale resident, turned to Channel 2 Investigates after her 2023 Kia K5 was taken out of service following a recall involving expanding fuel tanks.
“It was insane,” Tapley said. “My whole world got flipped upside down in the span of 30 seconds.”
Tapley says it was Dec. 22 when she received a video showing the fuel tank on her vehicle had expanded. Kia then told her the car was unsafe to drive and kept possession of it. For more than three weeks, Tapley says she was left without her vehicle, a loaner, or clear information about what would happen next.
“Now it’s going on three weeks with no car, no information... not even a ‘hey, we’re working on this,’” Tapley said. “I can’t get any information on it.”
Cell phone video provided by Tapley shows the fuel tank on her Kia K5 expanding beneath the vehicle, appearing dangerously close to the exhaust pipe.
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Kia issued a safety recall affecting roughly 250,000 Georgia-made Kia K5 vehicles from model years 2021 through 2024. According to the recall notice, the fuel tank may expand and come into contact with hot exhaust pipe components, increasing the risk of fire.
Other drivers have reported similar issues. In one case, drivers pulled over after fuel began leaking from their vehicle. Another driver says she was told her car was unsafe to drive after discovering her fuel tank had expanded.
Tapley says she is thankful she did not experience the problem while driving, but says the lack of transportation has been difficult.
“I don’t have a car,” she said. “I’m having to hand coworkers cash here and there to get to work. I have no ride.”
Channel 2 Action News reached out to Kia this week. On Tuesday, the automaker provided Tapley with a loaner vehicle. Later, Kia sent Tapley a letter offering to repurchase her car, pay off her loan, and provide an additional $3,200 in reimbursement.
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Kia has not publicly commented beyond that offer.
Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray says drivers can check whether their vehicle has an open safety recall by searching their VIN or license plate number on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall website.