Stinger Electronic Stability Control System - Beware!

[Ty Davis]

Just a little update here, now that I’ve had the car a few months and have added some miles.

Comfort mode does cut throttle now when wheelspin is detected.
If I am turning onto a street from a stop sign, I will often get a distinct pause in acceleration when the inside wheel slips a bit. Here it seems that the traction control has become more strict. Or perhaps it’s due to having aftermarket suspension that changed the grip ratio front to rear.

I did find that Comfort, Sport, and Custom (with Steering/suspension set to sport and Engine to Comfort) all have different levels of ESC control.

I assumed because I had the engine set to Comfort in customer mode, the ESC was in its most strict setting.
This misconception was reinforced by the fact that the ESC did in fact get more lenient in Sport.
I always use Custom mode, sometimes Sport, but rarely comfort.

But as of today, Comfort mode ESC can be quite restrictive and I no longer would be hesitant to turn a young driver loose with the basic ESC setting.

Custom mode does do away with some of the fuel cut when wheelspin is sensed.
It allows a smidge of tail angle too if you get into oversteer.

Sport mode ESC is truly sporty. I never need to turn of my ESC or TCS fully, as Sport mode stays out of the way nicely.

 

[G-22695]

I have a ‘19 RWD GT and I agree speeds under 30mph acceleration needs to be carefully planned because wet or dry it will happily swing the tail out pretty aggressively with no intervention. I enjoy it growing up around big block muscle cars, but would not let my son or wife drive it without a lot of seat time. Kia named it appropriately because it will sting you if you don’t respect the low end torque and power. I never get tired of it! Just shreds rear tires

 

[LoLaWy]

The traction and stability control are very inconsistent.
I am an active member in both stinger and G70 groups and I’ve heard a lot of conflicting experiences.

the ESC on my 3.3 G70 Sport is very very very intrusive.. I have never seen a wheel spin on my car EVER! Even on sport mode and with traction and stability control turned off .. some say the car allows more play on 2nd gear, tried that too and no luck

I’ve tried U-turnes So many times even on wet ground still got nothing
Thats fine if it’s turned on .. but even when I turn it manually off?!

I changed my tyres after 40k km ,, the thread looked like new! But very dry and stiff, even though am a driver who enjoys spirited driving and a bit of tail play << guess that’s why I bought a RWD for!

My car cuts throttle whenever it smells a hint of wheelspin .. it still accelerates fine in a straight line, onetime the traction control kicked in on me in a straight line while accelerating hard with launch control on 100km/h ! And cutted the throttle for half a second, even though I always test my acceleration on the that same street to record draggy results with no issues.

some G70 and stinger owners have reported the same issue, some were in the middle and some said they could throw the car however and whenever they wanted even with the ESC turned on.

so yes there’s a big variation between the individual cars unfortunately.

even the ones who reported they could turn the ESC off partially or completely off said that it’s very unpredictable and dangerous, sometimes it does kick in early, sometimes late and sometimes never ever, even on the same conditions, setting and location.

no one reported a difference in ESC between different drive modes. except maybe in germany where they have a “sport +” drive mode, which turnes traction and stability control off on its own without the need to manually press the button for that.

obviously I can’t take my car to the dealer and say: “my car doesn’t drift like the other G70s and Stingers” they wouldn’t consider it as a problem.

I wonder if there’s way to reset/reprogram the ESC on those cars to make it less intrusive (normal) or even if there’s a way to disable it completely like a BMW .. maybe by pulling a fuse for the ABS or the ESC?

Would love to hear a solution for this confusion and to be able to enjoy my car when it’s safe and proper to do so

 

[Stinger21GOV]

I find that Kia has programmed the stability control system to be VERY lenient and relaxed.
The computer has no problem with allowing significant wheel spin and consequently, severe oversteer. Even with the stability control in its strictest setting, the car can still spin out.

My previous vehicles have been BMW models that neatly curtailed wheelspin and prevented any sense of oversteer. On those cars, it was nearly impossible to spin the car even if you tried. The impression was that of being glued to the road, whether dry/rain/snow/or ice. The cars simply wouldn’t allow oversteer.

Back to the Stinger... ESC is late to act, and then does so lazily.
I wonder if Kia made the ESC so lenient in an effort to afford drivers the ability to really feel and experience the LSD (Limited Slip Differential) rear axle. The rear end of this car is VERY playful.

As an enthusiast, I like this sporty behavior.
However, if I had kids or a wife that drove this car too, I might be less amused as the ESC simply doesn’t provide the safety net of some other systems out there. The Stinger stability control, in Comfort mode, allows more wheelspin and yaw than a BMW/Audi/Mercedes system in Sport mode.

It would not set a teenager loose with this car, because he could surely do damage with it do to the relaxed ESC calibration.

Put another way, Stinger ESC is very unobtrusive (bordering ineffective, in some situations). This is not a car you can just chuck around and expect the computers to drive it out of the corner for you.
It does require that the driver actually drive the car.


Just something to think about, before you toss your keys to your teenager, friends, or anyone else who may try to push the car...

RWD driving dynamics are fully present in this car and are uninhibited by the electronics.
Anyone who drives spiritedly, or in bad conditions, need to be informed of that BEFORE they drive the car. People new to this very sporty looking/high hp vehicle, will (understandably) be tempted to test its power and abilities. It can bite back if they are inexperienced, unaccustomed, or caught off guard.

Kudos to Kia for providing sporty driving dynamics...
Shame on Kia for not offering a mode that controls wheelspin and oversteer a bit more tightly.

On another note... These days, my automotive pet peeve is a car that offers a multitude of modes, but all being to similar. Everything is computer controlled today. Steering, shocks, brakes, transmission, stability control, etc.
With 5 modes to choose from (Eco/smart/comfort/sport/custom), most every whim should be catered too. The Engine/tranny respond marvelously to the selected driving mode. The Steering, Shocks, and Stability control could all use a bit more difference between the different modes. It is here, that Kia could have slipped in a more “family friendly” stability control program.

Hi Everyone,
To be aware of the new KIA Stinger and faulty ESC. see the pictures attached; a similar ESC is in Kia Sportage 2021
I was aquaplaned at 70MPH and finish off by ESC; I'm a driver with 30y experience, luckily I get out of the car with minor injuries.
The car has only 550 miles on the clock.

 

[G-711890]

Hi Everyone,
To be aware of the new KIA Stinger and faulty ESC. see the pictures attached; a similar ESC is in Kia Sportage 2021
I was aquaplaned at 70MPH and finish off by ESC; I'm a driver with 30y experience, luckily I get out of the car with minor injuries.
The car has only 550 miles on the clock.View attachment 61195

stability control wont save you from making bad decisions by going 70 in situations where you could hit standing water. people these days, always looking to blame anything but themselves

 

[nhcowboy28]

Hi Everyone,
To be aware of the new KIA Stinger and faulty ESC. see the pictures attached; a similar ESC is in Kia Sportage 2021
I was aquaplaned at 70MPH and finish off by ESC; I'm a driver with 30y experience, luckily I get out of the car with minor injuries.
The car has only 550 miles on the clock.View attachment 61195

Part out.

 

[vipeboy2000]

ESC can't do much when you are aquaplaning since it needs grip to work... I know 3 people personally that have one totaled a 2006 mercedes e55 amg , another a 2017 e400 and a 2010ish e63 by aquaplaning. One of them was just on the interstate at 55 mph and was unable to maintain control, the other at around 65 and the other at a bit higher speed > 85 in the rain.. not smart.. lol .. but esc couldn't save those either at those speeds and situation... had there been enough space where the car could regain traction before crashing or running off the road, i'm sure esc would have helped..
Glad you are mostly uninjured!


sidenote, these people crashed their cars all around the same time a few years ago when I was actually looking to buy a 2005/6 e55 amg.... didn't work out but it did feel like a sign to stay away haha! I love those older supercharged amgs though... still want one.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Hi Everyone,
To be aware of the new KIA Stinger and faulty ESC. see the pictures attached; a similar ESC is in Kia Sportage 2021
I was aquaplaned at 70MPH and finish off by ESC; I'm a driver with 30y experience, luckily I get out of the car with minor injuries.
The car has only 550 miles on the clock.View attachment 61195

I disagree that the ESC is in any way to blame.

Were you in cruise control? That is the deadly factor that catches too many even experienced drivers. After a bad scare many years ago, arriving at the summit of a pass, and taking my car out of cruise mere handful of seconds before hitting black ice, I no longer use cruise at all when the road conditions are variable. (By the way, on the dropping side of that pass, I saw several vehicles that had just minutes before come to grief on the black ice: whether in cruise or not is moot, actually: but the take home is, drive well within the speed that maintains full control and allows effective braking.)

If you were not in cruise control, I can only offer the wisdom of the ages: "Sometimes the bear gets you." Here are some screen shots of a video shared on here a few weeks ago: the driver was more than lucky: s/he was offered a priceless chance to repent:

 

[Joe Remi]

You've only driven the car 550 miles and auqaplaned into a wreck at 70mph? That's not ESC error, that's driving too fast for conditions in an unfamiliar vehicle.

 

[nhcowboy28]

$5 says he was pumping the brakes too.

 

[Stinger21GOV]

You've only driven the car 550 miles and auqaplaned into a wreck at 70mph? That's not ESC error, that's driving too fast for conditions in an unfamiliar vehicle.

70 mph on wet is too fast???, The ESC was breaking my wheels after crossing the paddle, and kick me out of the road
I know 30 experience is not good enough.

 

[Joe Remi]

If you're in conditions where you can auqaplane then yes, it's too fast. Especially under the assumption you have summer tires on that RWD car. ESC can't save you if there's no grip left.

 

[RM7]

70 mph on wet is too fast???, The ESC was breaking my wheels after crossing the paddle, and kick me out of the road
I know 30 experience is not good enough.

Depends on a lot of factors. It absolutely can be. Depends on the amount of water/rate of rain, etc. Obviously just damp/moist roads with light rain won't do it, but my Goodyear SC3s on my 1LE loved to hydroplane at the smallest puddle at relatively low speeds. The PS4s are a lot better, but still, they don't put up with wet surfaces like skinner AS tires, there's a dramatic difference. Aggressive summer tires can be a problem at 70mph and significant water like puddles and standing water less than a cm can absolutely do it.

 

[7Andrei7]

Hi! I'm reviving this old thread with a few questions.
Has anyone encountered their traction control cutting power and flashing while you're trying to accelerate hard at high speed and in a straight line?

I just changed my open diff to an LSD (I have the 2.0 gt-line) and at the same time bought new winter tires (continental TS860S - 19" staggered).
Today, I could easily make the traction control flash and cut the power by flooring it at high speed. Temps were around 3-4 degrees Celsius and surface was slightly damp. It happens only in comfort mode. In sport, no matter what I do, there is no TC intervention.

Could there be different TC coding depending if the car has an LSD or an open diff? But what would explain the TC being more sensitive with the LSD. The car actually feels like it puts the power down way better before the TC ruins everything.

 

[D.J.]

Has anyone encountered their traction control cutting power and flashing while you're trying to accelerate hard at high speed and in a straight line?

Today, I could easily make the traction control flash and cut the power by flooring it at high speed.

What is "high speed"?

Are you going 100KM/H, and then accelerating from that high speed and you loose traction?

Or do you mean VERY LOW SPEED, like 1st gear speeds.

 

[7Andrei7]

No, it doesn't flash or cut power at low speeds. Only over 100kph.

For example, it happened while I was overtaking, at around 120kph with foot planted, the car suddenly cut power and the TC started flashing. It was damp and 4°C but in a straight line. It does not apply the brakes, just prevents revs from going up.

Another time it happened under similar conditions but it was perfectly synced with an up-shift. So no problems revving from 3000 up to 6500rpm (with foot planted), then the upshift to 4th and a sudden cut of power + TC flashing. Probably a surge in torque?

If I put the car in sport mode there is no power cutting or flashing. I REALLY tried. So it only happens in comfort mode.

I still hope it might be the new tires + damp/cold asphalt and kia's over sensitive TC. But the tires are UHP winter Contis. I'm not sure this should happen.
Only other explanation is that the TC somehow doesn't get along with the new LSD.

 

[D.J.]

Another time it happened under similar conditions but it was perfectly synced with an up-shift. So no problems revving from 3000 up to 6500rpm (with foot planted), then the upshift to 4th and a sudden cut of power + TC flashing. Probably a surge in torque?

If I put the car in sport mode there is no power cutting or flashing. I REALLY tried. So it only happens in comfort mode.

You must have the most torque of any 2.0

If you are breaking traction in 4th gear in a straight line, that's WILD!

My 3.3 certainly could never break traction in 4th, straight line, with winter tires on 4°C damp pavement.

If your issue is resolved in sport mode, why not use sport mode?

 

[7Andrei7]

Well, that's the thing, it doesn't feel like it breaks traction.

I've driven rwd cars on track at the very limit and I know the feeling of breaking traction at high speed. This feels like something is off.
It's just the TC that senses something. And I don't understand what.

 

[Devin]

Does it respond the same if you turn of TC?

 

[Kazz]

I love driving to work. At least once I get on the Interstate. But after I take that exit there's a stop sign where I need to take a left turn. I'm still wound from the drive. The pavement (asphalt) in the center has been rippled by cars turning left on hot days. It doesn't matter which mode I'm in. Unless I turn TC off acceleration disappears when I go over it. Sucks when you're just coming off the interstate with the tunes rolling and you finally have a turn. Let alone if someone's coming from the right.

I don't care for electronic nannies. But I will say that they are nice for driving over ice. Not starting from a dead stop on ice, though.

I've yet to run into an ESC I can live with when driving with intent.