A West Virginia woman has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging the recalled hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) in her 2017 Kia Rio short-circuited while she was driving, disabling the brakes and igniting an engine compartment fire that left her trapped inside the burning car. Rebecca L. Williams filed the complaint last week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, naming Kia Corporation, Kia America Inc. and Friendship Automotive Inc., operator of the Friendship Kia of Beckley dealership. The case, docketed as 5:26-cv-00383, raises strict product liability, negligence and breach of warranty claims and demands a jury trial.
Highlights
- Williams alleges the HECU in her 2017 Kia Rio LX short-circuited on November 24, 2025, causing complete brake failure and an engine compartment fire that spread into the cabin.
- The complaint ties the defect to a September 2023 Kia recall covering more than 1 million vehicles, identified by NHTSA campaign number 23V-652.
- Williams says she brought the car to Friendship Kia of Beckley nine times after purchasing it in April 2018 and was never notified of the recall.
- The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages from both the Kia entities and the dealership.
Brake Failure on Spruce Mountain
According to the complaint, Williams was driving the Rio to a scheduled service appointment at the dealership on November 24, 2025. As she applied the brakes near the bottom of Spruce Mountain on Clear Fork Road, she observed smoke coming from the vehicle and got no braking response. Unable to slow or stop, she lost control and struck an embankment.
The filing alleges fire then spread rapidly from the engine compartment into the occupant compartment, where Williams remained trapped. Neither front door would open, and her legs caught fire. A passerby eventually broke the rear window with a coal shovel and pulled her from the vehicle.
Williams was taken to Raleigh General Hospital and flown the same day to the West Penn Burn Center, where she underwent multiple debridement and skin graft surgeries on her legs, the complaint states. She alleges she will bear permanent scarring and related health effects for the rest of her life.
What Is the Kia HECU Defect?
The HECU controls the vehicle’s anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control and traction control. The complaint alleges the unit in the Rio was unreasonably prone to an electrical short capable of both disabling the brakes and starting a fire, and quotes the recall notice’s warning that “the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.”
The filing cites NHTSA recall campaign 23V-652, issued in September 2023 and covering more than 1 million Kia vehicles, a population that included 2011–2017 Rio models. The BRAKE Report covered the campaign when the combined Hyundai and Kia ABS recall grew to 3.3 million vehicles, with regulators urging owners to park outside until repairs were completed.
Beyond the HECU, the complaint alleges the Rio’s firewall was also defective because it failed to contain the fire to the engine compartment.
Nine Service Visits, No Recall Notice
Williams purchased the Rio from Friendship Kia of Beckley in April 2018 and alleges she returned it to the dealership for maintenance, service or repair on nine occasions — yet was never told the car was under recall.
“Neither the Kia Defendants nor Defendant Friends Automotive properly notified Plaintiff of the recall. Thus, Plaintiff was unaware of the extreme risk of fire associated with driving the subject vehicle with the defective, recalled HECU.” — Williams v. Kia Corporation et al. (quoted as written in the filing)
The complaint contends the dealership knew or should have known the vehicle was subject to the recall, and says no one advised her against driving the car to her service appointment on the day of the crash.
What the Lawsuit Seeks
The complaint raises four counts: strict product liability against all defendants, negligent design and manufacture against the Kia entities, breach of warranty against the Kia entities, and negligence against the dealership. Williams seeks compensatory and punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and attorneys’ fees.
Court records show discovery has been referred to Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn. Williams is represented by Bailey Javins & Carter of Charleston, West Virginia, and New York-based McCartney Stucky.
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