What 248 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

My wife and I were Driving when I tried to stop and the brakes failed. Within seconds the vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment. I had to slam the transmission into park cause the doors would not open. When my wife tried to escape out the passenger side the flames came into the cabin towards her. I then opened my door and then had to help my wife escape out the driver's side door. Within minutes the car was engulfed in flames. The fire department arrived and it took a while to extinguish. The vehicle is totaled.

NHTSA ODI 11748348

I was driving from richlands coming home and my vechial kept trying to die on me like i didnt have any gas and then i had to suddenly pull off the side of the road without any power and i sat their and even try to restart the vechial and it wouldn't start back then a woman come out of nowhere in an ambulance and i was trying to tell her that it was alright and she was trying to tell me that the vechial was on fire underneath the vechial and i didnt see that it was a fire at all i though i was overheating so i was sitting in the vechial waiting on it to cool down thank god i was not hurt really bad if this would have happened somewere else i know i would be dead i already have smoke in my lungs from breathing in all that smoke i though was just steam but i still dont know what in my engine caught on fire but i do know it started from either in the engine or under it somewhere then everything caught fire and it was all melted the whole thing is completely gone even the tag melted i have never seen that kind of fire before ever and i have own alot of vechicle and they usally break down but this was the first time one caught on fire and thus happens to kia alot even the day this happened the fire dept told me they just put another kia out just the week before how is it that kia are keeping these vechicle on the road it is awful and im trying to do something about it but noone will help me and i dont know what i need yo do to make kia pay for this i only had this vechial almost 6 months and it didnt have alot of miles on it 100000 thats not alot but the kia everything i have read have flew apart after the warranty has expired so its great for them i say they are happy and they have had a few recalls on this vechial and know about the fire but have something stupid like a tow hitch its saying my vechial has that recall but i didnt see a tow hitch anywere but it still caught fire so i would love for someone to take these vechial off the road they are not safe not what kia

NHTSA ODI 11700588

In January 2024 I started getting power steering issues and multiple warning lights related to the electrical systems. I took my vehicle to Car Pros Kia for inspection and repair on 2/1/2024. They took it for a test drive at which time it caught fire.

NHTSA ODI 11647007

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle lost all power while depressing the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact also stated that white smoke began to emit from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact saw flames coming from underneath the vehicle as oil began to leak from the vehicle. The flames eventually dissipated and authorities were not called to the scene. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed initially to the contact's home and later to the dealer. Once in the dealer's possession, the contact was informed that there was a hole in the engine block which had led to engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but had yet to offer any assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584707

I WAS TRAVELING TO FLORIDA AND SAW SPARKS IN THE MIRRORS IN THE BACK. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER AND WENT TO THE BACK AND SAW FIRE, THE CAR WAS ON FIRE EVERYBODY GOT OUT, WE TRIED TO PUT IT OUT BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS AN ACCELERRENT OR SOMETHING CAUSE IT WAS ENGULFED WITH FIRE VERY FAST ONCE WE STOPPED THE WHOLE CAR WAS BURNING.+WE WERE ON 65 SOUTH IN KENTUCKY JUST DRIVING ,NO RAIN ROADS WERE DRY.

NHTSA ODI 11378575

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER SON WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND LOST ALL POWER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SON CALLED HER AND INFORMED HER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE HE SAW FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE OPENED THE HOOD AND THE FLAMES IMMEDIATELY ENGULFED THE WHOLE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS MADE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED. THE CONTACT CONTACTED THE DEALER SUNTRUP KIA SOUTH (6263 S LINDBERGH BLVD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63123 PHONE: (314) 254-8955) WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE AND TO CONTACT KIA CONSUMER LINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE A CASE WAS OPENED AS WELL AS AN INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11324235

I WAS DRIVING ON A STATE HWY ABOUT THREE MILES FROM HOME GOING 50 MPH. I WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THE VEHICLE WHEN I BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE HWY. AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. I OPENED MY DOOR AND OPENED THE HOOD FROM THE INSIDE. WHEN I DID, FLAMES AND SMOKE BEGAN TO SHOOT OUT FROM THE HOOD AND I HEARD A LOUD POP. I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WITHIN SECONDS, THE WHOLE CAR WAS CONSUMED WITH FIRE. I CALLED 911 AND REPORTED A VEHICLE ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMS BOTH RESPONDED WITHIN MINUTES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE BUT NOT BEFORE IT WAS A COMPLETE LOSS. AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, I NOTED ALL THE DOORS AND THE HATCH HAD LOCKED AT SOME POINT DURING THE FIRE. I CONTACTED CUMBERLAND KIA WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE TO NOTIFY THEM OF WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE THAT AFTERNOON.

NHTSA ODI 11152866