NHTSA Complaint #10135094 — 2003 KIA SORENTO

COMMENTS: I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU OF WHAT I THINK IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO MY WIFE AND I WERE RETURNING FROM A VACATION IN OUR CAR AND IT CAUGHT FIRE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR SERIOUS DAMAGE. AT THE END OF THIS LETTER WILL BE ALL THE PARTICULARS. WE WERE COMING FROM SANTA CRUZ ON HIGHWAY 1, IN CALIFORNIA AND AT WHAT IS CALLED THE SUMMIT, OF I STARTED SEEING SMOKE IN BACK OF OUR VEHICLE. WE STOPPED, TURNED OFF THE CAR ,OPENED THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE DOWN ON THE DRIVER SIDE NEAR THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I CLOSED THE HOOD AND TRIED TO LOCATE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF AND WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER A DAY OF TESTING THE ONLY THING THEY FOUND WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIGHTLY OVERFILLED, WHICH WAS MY ERROR. WHILE I REALIZE THAT CAN CAUSE THE PROBLEM HERE IS MY CONCERN. THE TECHNICIAN WHO WORKED ON MY CAR SAID THAT TRANSMISSIONS ARE DESIGNED TO BLOW OUT OR THROUGH OVERFLOW THE TRANSMISSION FILLER TUBE. HE ALSO SHOWED ME THAT ON TOP OF THE DIPSTICK WAS SLOT WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE FLUID TO ESCAPE. HOWEVER IT IS LOCATED RIGHT OVER THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. IT WOULD SEEM THAT IT SHOULD BE LOCATED WHERE THE FLUID WOULD NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH SUCH HOT ENGINE PARTS. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS AFFECTS OTHER VEHICLES BUT IT DOES CONCERN ME. MY VEHICLE IS 2004 KIA SORENTO 6 CYC, AUTOMATIC WE WERE NOT TOWING ANYTHING NOR WHERE WE LOADED DOWN. I THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME. STEVE ELIJAH 225 MERRILL AVE FREMONT, CA 945 [email protected] 510.623.8211. *NM