NHTSA Complaint #11306480 — 2016 KIA SORENTO

MY WIFE AND I HAD JUST BEEN HOME FOR AN HOUR AFTER A 20 MIN IN TOWN DRIVE. SOMETHING HAD MADE ME LOOK OUT SIDE OF OUR SECOND STORY APARTMENT AND I ASKED MY WIFE IS YOUR CAR RUNNING? THE ENTIRE REAR END WAS ENGULFED IN BLUE SMOKE. SHE SAID NO! SO THEN BEGAN PANIC MODE! I RAN DOWNSTAIRS TO THE SMELL OF ELECTRIC FIRE. SO I INSTANTLY WHEN TO MY PICKUP TRUCK GRABBED A PAIR OF PLIERS RAN BACK TO MY WIFE'S KIA AND UNPLUGGED BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BATTERY CONNECTIONS FROM THE TERMINALS WHICH INSTANTLY STOPPED THE SMOKE. I GRABBED MY FLASHLIGHT (IT WAS DUSK) AND CRAWLED UNDERNEATH THE REAR BUMPER TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. A LITTLE BLACK BOX TUCKED BEHIND THE BUMPER BETWEEN THE SPARE AND THE BUMPER. LOOKED LIKE A JUNCTION BOX OF WIRE HAD MELTED AND ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE. WHAT IF WE WHERE NOT AROUND? THE CAR WOULD BE A TOTAL LOSS.