Last week, on aug 29th 2020, I tried to make a left u-turn on a residential street and the steering wheel locked up. I got scared and just drove forward to the next street and turned right onto that street. On aug the 17th, 2020 I had my car inspected. The mechanic said the brake fluid was leaking and had to fix that. Approx 2 weeks later, sept 2nd, the motor blew on my car while driving on a hwy. There was black smoke coming through the A/C vent right before it happened. The car is a total loss.
2009 Kia Optima: fire, smoke or burning smell
5 of the 116 complaints about the 2009 Kia Optima describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 1 service bulletin covers this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
Driving at 70 MPH, engine died and car started smoking. Pulled to shoulder, front end of car caught fire. Fire department extinguished with foam. Car a total loss.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 kia optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v114000 (service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting). The manufacturer had not sent notification of the vehicle being included in the recall from march 29, 2013. While driving highway speeds, the contact noticed smoke under the hood of the vehicle. While pulling the vehicle over, an off duty fire fighter flagged the contact to quickly pull over and exit the vehicle. The fire fighter remained at the scene as the fire department arrived and extinguished the flames. The driver was not injured. The insurance company towed the vehicle to a facility, inspected the collision damages, and claimed the vehicle as a total loss. The cause of the fire was not investigated. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 kia optima. While driving 35 MPH, another motorist notified the contact that the undercarriage of the vehicle was on fire. The contact coasted to the side of the road and noticed smoke and flames under the hood of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
After returning from work and parking my vehicle at home, the car sat in my driveway in 40 degree weather for approximately 12 hrs. I woke up the next morning and found my car on fire and is a total loss. The police and fire department were called and dispatched to my home. The fire department extinguished the fire and determined it was probably an electrical fire. There is no remote starter installed or any other accessories installed in the vehicle after purchase. The fire started in the engine compartment and started spontaneously, perhaps due to a manufacturer defect in the electrical system. I was about an hour away from leaving with this car to return to my office and I am concerned it could of started while I was in it, perhaps causing injuries or death. I am also concerned that if this could happen to me, that there are other vehicles with the same faulty electrical system and it could happen to someone else. I believe kia has a hidden manufacturing defect as was described in my incident, and its very possible it exists on other kia vehicles. Please take my concerns seriously and I think kia needs to look into this matter asap. Although the car is damaged beyond repair, I welcome and encourage kia to take the vehicle back to assure it doesn't happen again to anyone else. *tr updated 03/12/13
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2009 Kia Optima fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2009 Kia Optima?
5 of 116 owner complaints about the 2009 Kia Optima (4%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2009 Kia Optima?
There are 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2009 Kia Optima
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