NHTSA Complaint #10692124 — 2013 KIA OPTIMA

ON 2/19/2015 AT 8:30 A.M. MY WIFE DROVE OUR 2013 KIA OPTIMA APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES TO THE LOCAL SUPERMARKET AND THEN DROVE THE 6 MILES BACK HOME. MAXIMUM SPEEDS REACHED WERE NO MORE THAN 50 MPH WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DRIVE BEING AT 35 MPH. ABOUT HALFWAY HOME SHE NOTICED AN UNFAMILIAR SMELL BUT WAS NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS, AND THE CAR SEEMED TO BE DRIVING NORMALLY AND NO WARNING LIGHTS EVER CAME ON. AS SHE PULLED INTO THE GARAGE AT OUR HOME SHE THEN NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES SHOOTING OUT FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE TURBO. SHE RAN INTO THE HOUSE AND GRABBED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. SHE USED THE ENTIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES. I CAME HOME AND TOGETHER WE PUSHED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE AND CALLED KIA. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED 43 MILES AWAY TO THE CLOSEST KIA DEALERSHIP. KIA COOPERATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIVISION WAS IMMEDIATELY IN CONTACT WITH US, WE STATED THAT WE NO LONGER FELT SAFE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND WANTED IT REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT THEY COULD NOT EVEN TOUCH THE VEHICLE UNTIL AN INVESTIGATOR FROM KIA CORP. LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE. AFTER PICTURES OF THE INCIDENT WERE RECEIVED BY COOPERATE THE WHOLE SITUATION CHANGED. I FEEL THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BURNED BADLY (ONLY BECAUSE OF MY WIFE'S QUICK ACTION) KIA IS NOT TREATING THIS AS SERIOUS AS THEY SHOULD ANYMORE. I WAS INFORMED BY KIA CORPORATE THAT THEY WOULD BE FIXING THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY AND RETURNING IT TO US. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONCE FOR A SHORT PERIOD AND WHEN IT RETURNED THE TURBO CHARGER WAS "GLOWING RED HOT LIKE LAVA" THEY ALSO SAID THAT CORP. ENGINEERS FROM KIA WERE PERFORMING TESTS REMOTELY AND THAT NO ATTEMPTS HAD EVEN BEEN MADE TO TRY AND FIX THE PROBLEM YET. ....UPDATED 06/09/15*BF