NHTSA Complaint #10731276 — 2014 KIA SOUL

TAKING A DAY TRIP TO THE CRAYOLA FACTORY, WE WERE 10 MILES FROM OUR DESTINATION WHEN WE FIRST SMELLED SMOKE THEN SAW IT COMING IN THROUGH THE VENTS AND FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER CORNER OF THE VEHICLE. I FIRST CHECKED THE GAUGES TO SEE IF IT WAS OVER HEATED, NOTHING. POPPED THE HOOD AND THAT'S WHEN WE REALIZED IT WAS ON FIRE. WE RACED TO GET THE 2 SMALL KIDS OUT OF THE VEHICLE AS THE FLAMES WERE STARTING TO OVER TAKE THE FRONT HOOD. WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE THE KIDS AND GET FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE BUT 3 MINUTES LATER THE CAR WAS GUTTED. NOTHING BUT METAL LEFT ON THE INSIDE. WE HAD NO WARNING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, NO ENGINE LIGHT, NO OVERHEATING - JUST SMELLED AND THEN SAW SMOKE. WE WERE LUCKY WE HAD A PLACE TO PULL OFF ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS TOLD BY THE POLICE OFFICER THAT I'M LUCKY THAT I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND OPENED THE DOORS BEFORE THE LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED AS HE HAS SEEN IN OTHER KIA CARS. MY HOPE IS THAT KIA CAN FIND THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE AND DO A RECALL BEFORE ANYONE ELSE IS FACED WITH THIS NIGHTMARE. I REPORTED IT TO KIA VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THEY SEEMED MORE CONCERNED ON HOW TO TAKE MY PICTURES OFF RATHER THAN FIX THE ISSUE. *TR UPDATED 11/02/2017*CN