NHTSA Complaint #11246461 — 2018 KIA SORENTO

ON 8-23-19 AT APPROX. O805HRS I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND PARKED MY KIA SORENTO. I HAD DRIVEN THE KIA SORENTO FROM MY RESIDENCE TO VANCOUVER, WA AND DURING THIS TRAVEL PERIOD THE KIA SORENTO FUNCTIONED AS USUAL WITH NO INDICATION OF MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL OR FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE. I PARKED THE KIA AND ENTERED THE BUILDING. AT APPROX. 0840 A CO-WORKER INDICATED THE KIA HAD SMOKE COMING FROM THE KIA'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I EXITED THE BUILDING TO SEE A SMALL HAZE OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHICH BEGAN TO INCREASE. I USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN AN ATTEMPT TO NEUTRALIZE THE FIRE, WHICH ONLY SUPPRESSED IT FOR A SHORT TIME AND I DIDN'T OPEN THE ENGINE HOOD DUE TO POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO FIRE OR EXPLOSIONS. THE ENGINE FIRE CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN SIZE AND I ATTEMPTED WITH ANOTHER FIRE EXTINGUISHER, WHICH WASN'T EFFECTIVE DUE TO SIZE, HEAT AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE FULL ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VANCOUVER FIRE LATER ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE ENGINE FIRE CONTINUED WITHIN THE KIA'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT.