NHTSA Complaint #11129972 — 2012 KIA SEDONA

LAST SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2018, SEDONA WAS ALMOST CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVER WAS WITH HER CHILDREN. ONWER SAW A HUGE SMOKE AFTER SHE LOOKED AT DASHBOARD TEMPATURE GUAGE THAT REACHED OVERHEAT, QUICKLY PARKED, TURNED IT OFF, AND OPENED THE HOOD. SHE SMELLED STRONG BURNED. MECHANIC TOOK A LOOK AT ENGINE AND FOUND A LOT OF MOTOR OIL THAT WAS LEAKING THROUGH THE HEAD GASKET AND SPILLING OVER ONTO EXHAUST PIPE UNDER ENGINE BLOCK. OIL SPILLING ONTO EXHAUST PIPE COULD CAUSE FIRE. RESPONSE OF MECHANIC DIAGNOSIS, ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR WAS AT FAULT FOR STOPPING GENERATE POWER SUPPLY TO THE RADIATOR FAN ASSEMBLY. THEN RADIATOR FAN ASSEMBLY STOPPED OPERATING, RESULTING IN ENGINE OVERHEAT TO BREAK THE HEAD GASKET, LEAKING A LOT OF MOTOR OIL. FOLLOWING OVERHEAT ISSUE, TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO AFFECTED. MECHANIC NOTICED THAT ALARM WAS NOT BUILT IN FOR COOLANT FLUID LEVEL LOW AFTER HALF LOW IN RADIATOR FOUND. WHY WAS NOT A COOLANT FLUID LEVEL LOW ALARM BUILT IN BEFORE FIRST TIME VEHICLE WAS SOLD? WITHOUT A COOLANT FLUID LEVEL LOW ALARM COULD LEAD VEHICLE INTO FIRE.