We were just 10 minutes driving from home, when we saw the smoke coming from front of the car. We were approaching the light so the speed was about 10 miles . Within 5/6 meters we stopped in turn line and turned off the engine. The smoke got more and more. So we get out of the car and we were just shocked. Somebody told us call 911 and we did and we called fire fighters as well. During that period fire was coming out of the bonnet and other cars were around us. I was just afraid of explosion . In couple of minutes police came and block the road. Then fire fighters came and put the fire out. But our car was totally damaged and out of order. We towed it to the auto body and some days later they told can't do anything with it.
2002 Kia Rio: fire, smoke or burning smell
6 of the 128 complaints about the 2002 Kia Rio describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 61,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
I got the second hand 2002 kia rio 4 months ago . Me and my wife were driving for 1 mile when the smell of smoke came and in the couple of seconds there was smoke came from the bonnet. I switched off and tried to open the bonnet but the smoke got more and more ,so we left the car immediately and we saw flames came from right part of the bonnet. We were just shocked and scared of fire. We called 911 and firefighters and in less than ten minutes front part of the car was totally ruined. Looking optimistically there was no injury at all . But how about the next one! Can everybody be lucky as we were?! We were just in the middle of the turn line in middle of the street , so other cars were around us I can not imagine what could happened if I was in freeway or if my wife was alone!?
2002 kia rio, purchased new and maintained in excellent condition with regular maintenance. Had 61,000 miles and while driving, my daughter smelled something burning, engine light came on and at the same time, smoke was coming in through the air vents. She immediately pulled over, stopped the car and removed her keys. The ignition started on its own and the car engine erupted into flames. The car is totally destroyed. Fire and highway patrol reports were taken at the scene and car was towed to kia dealership in clovis ca. Service manager stated he had taken pictures and became investigation. When I went in to see the car and take pictures, the service team was completely apathetic and rude. I made a call to kia consumer affairs, and found that the report had not been submitted. The individual at kia consumer affairs was extremely helpful and attempted to call the dealership as well. Her calls were not returned. My daughter was extremely lucky and only suffered first degree burns to the face, and smoke inhalation that exacerbated her asthma. According to the fire investigator, the fire was caused by an over-filling of transmission fluid by 1 quart. The consumer stated when she saw the vehicle the day after, there was no fluid anywhere. The consumer believed there was a defect with the vehicle possibly related to a recall, which was supposedly had been taken care of at the dealership. *jb updated 06/21/07.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 kia rio. The contact smelled something burning and noticed the vehicle was on fire while parked. The fire was contained to underneath the hood and was extinguished by the contact. The vehicle was destroyed. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed by the dealer/manufacturer. The purchase date and engine size were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 60,000.
Recall no.#04v179000, fuel system/gasoline delivery: while sitting at a stop sign, another motorist informed the consumer that the back of her vehicle was on fire. After crossing the intersection the consumer left the vehicle and saw that the fuel tank area was actually on fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames of the vehicle. The manufacturer isn't going to issue the recall notice until june of 2004.
While driving at 50 MPH vehicle caught on fire. There was a lot smoke and flames under the hood.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2002 Kia Rio fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2002 Kia Rio?
6 of 128 owner complaints about the 2002 Kia Rio (5%) 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 2002 Kia Rio?
There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Kia Rio
Stalling 21No deployment 12Check engine light 8Engine failure 5
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