2021 Kia K5

The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that fuel odor was entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s seat seemed to be inflated. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the contact became aware of fuel squirting out of the fuel filler neck. The fuel gauge fluctuated from full tank to half tank or empty. There was no warning light illuminated. The fuel odor became stronger, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road at a rest stop. A mobile service tech arrived to inspect the vehicle but found no failures. The contact continued driving to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who found that the fuel tank and fuel line had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a photo to the manufacturer to confirm the necessary repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and determined that the fuel tank and PCV valve were swollen and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer offered a buy-back for the vehicle and opened a case. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that while the contact’s son-in-law was driving, the fuel level indicator failed to function as intended. The contact’s son-in-law noticed that the miles available indicator stated that there were 430 miles until empty. The contact’s son-in-law stated that after driving for approximately 20 minutes, the miles available indicator indicated that the miles had decreased by 50 miles. The contact’s son-in-law drove the vehicle to a nearby gas station, and inspected the fuel tank cap, and confirmed that that fuel cap was sufficiently tightened. The contact's son-in-law proceeded to drive for another hour and the miles available indicator decreased by 200 miles. The contact stated that there were three occupants, including an infant, seated in the rear seat of the vehicle. The contact’s daughter, who was seated in the rear seat, noticed heat on the back of her legs. In addition, the contact’s daughter noticed an abnormal ticking sound and the rear seat independently raised up. The contact’s daughter stated that the failure was persistent. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact’s son-in-law inspected the vehicle. The contact’s son-in-law and daughter switched seats. The contact stated that the daughter had driven a short distance, and the miles available dropped from 200 to 50 miles. The contact instructed the daughter to stop and exit the vehicle. The contact stated that the fuel tank level indicated the fuel was empty and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact’s son-in-law was instructed to turn the vehicle off and how to inspect the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact’s son-in-law was instructed to remove the rear seat. The contact’s son-in-law noticed that the fuel tank was swollen. The contact’s son-in-law was instructed to remove the fuel cap to release the pressure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact was informed of an unknown recall; however,

The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine, when the gas tank expanded, and the back seat popped up. The contact stated that two teenagers were in the back seat, and one was injured. The contact's daughter pulled over and waited for a short while. The vehicle was restarted; however, the vehicle drove slowly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to another dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that the seat had moved two inches. The contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired because the frame of the seats could be damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle remained at the dealer and had not been driven since. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.