Driver's Kia Sol subject to urgent recall for fire hazard catches fire in North Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — “I’m very, very lucky that I was able to get through it.”

Driver Jasmine Lee is grateful she was able to get out of her car just before it caught fire.

She tells ABC11 Troubleshooter she was driving her 2013 Kia Sol when suddenly she heard a noise.

“I heard a noise or something under my hood and the car just shut down, all the lights came on and the car just stopped. It was still moving because of the momentum of the car working.”

Lee said she was able to pull into a driveway and started seeing smoke. “I started seeing the flames and I was like, oh, my God, I have to call 911.”

From a distance, she filmed video as firefighters worked to put out the blaze. She watched and recorded the destruction of her car by the fire.

On the night of the fire, Lee remembered a recall notice issued in September 2023. According to the recall, approximately 1.7 million selected Kia vehicles, including Lee's, anti-lock braking system module could leak brake fluid inside and cause an electrical short. An electrical short that, according to the recall, increases the risk of an engine compartment fire while driving or parking.

The recall was deemed urgent and a fire risk, and Kia advised owners to park their vehicles outside and away from home until their vehicle is repaired. Another problem is that replacement parts are still not available, nine months after the recall.

“If they had done their due diligence and provided the parts to repair, this probably never would have happened to my car,” Lee told ABC11. She says she immediately contacted Kia and they told her they would investigate and when she asked for a rental, Kia said no.

Michael Brooks of the Center for Auto Safety says Lee is not alone. He said his agency has heard from several car owners affected by the recall and they have received no help.

“They (Kia) are telling owners to contact their insurance and get their money for their vehicle and then dust themselves off like nothing happened, which is a huge problem, especially in these circumstances,” Brooks said . Without a resolution to the recall, Brooks says more Kia owners could be at risk when it comes to their vehicles.

“For example, the owner of Sol won't even receive their recall notification, telling them that the cure isn't available until later this month, and then they'll have to stand in line and wait for an opportunity to get the fix.”

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Hearing nothing from Kia, Lee contacted ABC11 troubleshooter Diane Wilson. A Kia representative told her twice that they had forwarded Lee's case to customer service for a quick review, but more than a week later, Lee still says she hasn't heard anything from Kia.

“Not having a car for no reason and without anything that I have. The possibility of having a means of transportation in the meantime is not acceptable.”

Tow truck Diane Wilson has repeatedly asked Kia for comment on this matter and what they are doing for owners who have an incident like Lee's while they are under an emergency recall for risk of damage. fire, but the representative added no comment.

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