NHTSA Complaint #11114289 — 2011 KIA SORENTO

AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 6 MILES TO A LOCAL STORE NEARBY AND BACK HOME AS I PULLED MY CAR INTO MY PARKING SPOT BLACK SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE HOOD SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF WAITED UNTIL THE SMOKE STOPPED AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD TO SEE IF I COULD TELL WHAT WAS SMOKING. EVERYTHING APPEARED FINE AND I MADE SURE TO CHECK ALL OF MY FLUID LEVELS AND OIL WHICH WERE ALL FULL. LATER THAT DAY MAYBE 4 HOURS LATER I DROVE ABOUT 15 MILES TO MY SISTERS HOUSE AND AGAIN AS I WAS PARKING MY CAR THE BLACK SMOKE STARTED AGAIN FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PROCEEDED TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND LOOK UNDER THE HOOD AGAIN AFTER THE SMOKE CLEARED. LESS THAN 5 MINUTES LATER THE WAS A LOUD POPPING NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND BY THE TIME I RAN OUTSIDE TO SEE THE ENTIRE FRONT PART OF MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES HOWEVER THE WINDOWS WERE UP SO THE FLAMES WERE CONTAINED INSIDE THE CAR AND UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME MINUTES LATER AND PUT THE FIRE OUT AND I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED DUE TO THE FRONT TIRES MELTING FROM THE FIRE. I HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I'D PURCHASED IT ONLY 5 MONTHS BEFORE AND LET THEM AND FINANCING COMPANY KNOW. NO ONE COULD EXPLAIN WHY MY CAR SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED LIKE A BOMB WHILE PARKED AND TURNED OFF. I'M REPORTING THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WAS A FREAK ACCIDENT I BELIEVE THESE VEHICLES SHOULD DEFINITELY BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE.