2018 Kia Soul

So, I was driving down the road and there was like a tapping sound coming from the engine. It had been doing that tapping noise for a couple of days. All of a sudden a heard like a loud bang/pop noise and see smoke coming out of my engine area. The car stalled and I slowly let it coast to the side of the road. I looked at my rear view mirror and I see black smoke and a man running toward me yelling, "Get out of the car! Get out of the car! It's going to explode! Get out of the car!" Other cars were stopping and I couldn't tell what all the fuzz was about. I picked up my work lap top, parked the car, and took the keys off the ignition. Smoke was coming into the cabin and I realized this was something else. I opened the door and the man yelled again, "Get out!, Get out!" I did. I slowly got out of the car and made my way away from the car. I began recording because I was mad that this KIA that I had bought just over a year prior had broken down. It wasn't until I stepped further back that I see the fire coming upward and the engine was on fire as well. The KIA Soul 2018 burned completely down in less than 10 minutes. I was lucky to get out alive.

AT 2AM ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22ND MY HUSBAND'S 2018 KIA SOUL, WHICH WAS STATIONARY IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND NOT IN OPERATION AT THE TIME, WAS SET ABLAZE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. WE WERE ASLEEP AND WERE WOKEN UP BY THE SOUND OF, WHAT WAS POSSIBLY, THE TIRES EXPLODING, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO WAKE UP AND EVACUATE THE PROPERTY. WE HAVE A DOORBELL CAMERA THAT WOULD HAVE PICKED UP A PERSON IN OUR DRIVEWAY SO WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE CAUSE WAS ARSON. ONLINE RESEARCH AFTER THE INCIDENT INDICATES THAT THIS COULD BE RELATED THE THE RECENT RECALLS OF KIAS AND HYUNDAIS, WHICH OUR MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED AS FAR AS WE KNOW.

AROUND 11:40PM ON 12/3/2019 I PARKED MY CAR IN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT - CAR WAS STATIONARY. IT WAS 51 DEGREES OUT AND CLOUDY, BUT NO RAIN OR ANY PRECIPITATION. THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING; THE HEAT/AC WERE NOT ON. NO ONE WAS AROUND. SUDDENLY, THE WINDSHIELD IN THE BACK (LARGE HATCH DOOR WINDOW) SHATTERED ENTIRELY. IT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOT. NOTHING FELL ON THE CAR, NO PEOPLE OR ANIMALS WERE AROUND. THE WHOLE WINDOW WAS SHATTERED AND CRUMBLING ALONG THE EDGES. NO ROCKS, BBS, PELLETS, BRANCHES, BALLS, OR OTHER OBJECTS ANYWHERE. NO OTHER DAMAGE MADE AT THAT MOMENT TO THE CAR AT ALL. THE PANE STAYED TOGETHER UNTIL I OPENED/CLOSED MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THEN IT STARTED TO FALL APART. NO EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY. ONLY 12,600 MILES ON THE CAR. CHECKED WITH THE POLICE, BUT NO SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAD BEEN REPORTED. OCCURRED IN KIRKLAND, WA. NO PREVIOUS ACCIDENTS AS FAR AS I KNOW. EXCEPT A FEW WEEKS PRIOR, ON THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR, A LON CRACK APPEARED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, STARTING FROM THE TOP EDGE ABOUT 9" LONG. NO EVIDENCE OF ROCK, DEBRIS, OR IMPACT.

TWO INCIDENCES OF DECELERATION..ONE CAUSED ME TO EXIT FREEWAY ONTO THE FRONTAGE ROAD.. ONE INSPECTION AT DEALERSHIP AFTER 2ND INCIDENT STATED "NOTHING FOUND"...HAD I BEEN SURROUNDED BY VEHICLES FRONT AND REAR, I AND OTHERS COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT...I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FRONTAGE ROAD ONTO A SHOULDER. THE 2ND INCIDENT WAS NEAR MY RESIDENCE AND FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE STREET AT TIME....WHILE THE DEALER TECHNICIANS MAY NOT HAVE THESE EVENTS OCCUR AT THE TIME OF SERVICE, THESE INCIDENCES I BELIEVE ARE SPONTANEOUS AND THEREFORE DANGEROUS TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS OF MY AND OTHER VEHICLES. THESE INCIDENCES KEEP ME IN FEAR OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE ASKED THE LOCAL DEALER FOR A TRADE TO ANOTHER BRAND BUT ONLY RESPONSE SOMETIME APRIL 2019... WE WILL WORK ON IT. I STARTED BY EMAILING SALESMEN AND MANAGERS OF DEALERSHIP AND FINALLY CALLED WHICH FINALLY PRODUCED A RESPONSE TO ATTEMPT TO FIND A DIFFERENT BRAND VEHICLE...THIS IS A NEW LOAN OF MARCH 2018.,THIS VEHICLE SUPPOSEDLY WAS BUILT IN SEPT. 2017.....FIRE HAZARD IS MENTIONED WITH ONE DEATH OF WOMAN IN TEXAS DUE TO ONE OF THESE TWO CAUSES.MY VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AND I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER KIA SOUL.

I WAS SITTING AT A JACKS DRIVE THROUGH WHEN MY CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS ON. MY CAR WAS STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. IT PLOWED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME BUT THE REESE HITCH ON HIS TRUCK WENT THROUGH MY BUMPER. THERE WAS NO INJURY.

ON JUNE 22 2018 I WAS TOWING MY KIA BEHIND MY RV ON I-10 NEAR MONTICELLO FL. IT BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. IT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED .THE FHP ARRIVED SHORTLY THEREAFTER AS DID THE LOCATION FIRE DEPARTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT HOWEVER RV SUSTAINED $20K DAMAGE. THERE A FHP REPORT ON FILE (FHP01LRO23143). I REPORTED THIS TO KIA IN LAKE CITY, FL.THERE RESPONSE WAS YES THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS BUT NUMBER WAS WASN'T TOO BAD. CALLED THEM SEVERAL TIMES BUT ACTION. I HAVE PHOTOS AND THE FHP REPORT IF NEEDED. NO FUTURE SAFETY RECALL INFORMATION IS REQUIRED, VEHICLE.IA IN THE BONEYARD.