In XXX, my 2004 Kia Sedona caught fire shortly after I arrived at work in [XXX]. My [XXX] daughter was with me because she was sick. After parking, I removed her from the back seat and went inside the salon. Minutes later, I returned and saw smoke coming from the engine. Within seconds, the front of the vehicle caught fire. The vehicle was parked near a building, and the fire and smoke spread toward the building. The fire department responded and made a report. The vehicle was completely disabled and later sold to a salvage yard because I could not drive or transport it. My insurance did not cover the fire because I did not have fire coverage. I am especially concerned because my daughter had been inside the vehicle moments before the fire. Fortunately, I removed her before the fire started. I later contacted Kia America, which opened Case No. XXX and requested the vehicle's location for investigation. Kia also requested preservation of the vehicle, but it had already been destroyed by the fire and sold to salvage. I am requesting that the federal safety agency review this incident for possible safety defects, recalls, investigations, or similar fire complaints involving the 2004 Kia Sedona or its components. I can provide the fire report, Kia correspondence, and other supporting records. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2004 Kia Sedona: fire, smoke or burning smell
12 of the 176 complaints about the 2004 Kia Sedona describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical mileage
- 120,000
- recalls
- 0
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
Everything appears normal driving down road bout 45 to 50 mph. Slowed down for car n front was turning when I noticed smoke coming from under hood around headlights both sides. Then we pulled into a storage unit place. When even more smoke . I got out popped hood it was all on fire. I turned off van and a friend and I got a couple cups and dipped in water puddle and put fire out , while we were watching to make sure it restarted 2 more times. After half hour goes by and no more smoke . Closed van up found a ride home after contacting insurance company.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 kia sedona. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow yard. The contact mentioned that the cause of the fire was unknown. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 100,100.
My 2004 kia sedona was sitting stationary in my driveway engine was off. When something in the engine compartment caught fire causing extensive damage to engine parts on the top side of the engine. Such be as fluid reservoirs wiring, fuse box, and more.
On saturday, december 16, at approximately 11:30 am, my wife's 2004 kia sedona spontaneously caught fire in the driveway of our home. I had driven it that morning to run a quick errand, actual drive time less than half an hour without anything out of the ordinary. I returned home, parked in our driveway behind my ford windstar. Both my wife and myself were in our house when we heard a loud boom followed shortly by a second boom. That is when we saw that fire was coming from the engine compartment of her van and the rear of my windstar was on fire. We immediately called 911 and shortly thereafter our local fire company arrived and began fighting the blaze. By that time both vehicles were engulfed in flames. The fire appears to have started in the engine compartment of the kia. Both vehicles are a total loss. Until this incident, notwithstanding basic maintenance and repairs, the kia sedona was a very reliable vehicle. As with the windstar, maintenance and repairs were done on a regular and as needed basis by the same shop that has worked on all our vehicles for over 10 years. I am sure I can produce maintenance and repair records if needed. The last time the kia was serviced was late october of this year to replace an alternator.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. While stationary, the front end of the vehicle erupted into flames. The contact stated that the fire originated from the engine compartment. A police report was not filed. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. There were no injuries sustained. The manufacturer was not made aware of the fire. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Upon returning home and parking my van after running an errand of about 5 miles, I saw smoke coming from the engine compartment, ran to get a fire extinguisher, the fire was put out within 60 (sixty) seconds after seeing the smoke. Removing the air cleaner and other components, -- the wire harness on the passenger side of the engine compartment was found charred by the fire. No immediate reason was found for this incident to occur.
Caught on fire while parked after driving engine was off . History of oil leaks. #15003607 van totaled and sent to salvage yard.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire from under the hood while driving an unknown speed. The contact was able to move off the roadway and called the fire department, who extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was deemed as destroyed by the contact's insurance agency. The failure and current mileages were 135,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 kia sedona. While driving approximately 40 MPH the contact smelled a strong burning odor and smoke emitted from the vents. Suddenly, the contact drove the vehicle onto the emergency lane. The contact stated when the driver side junction box covering was removed it was on fire. The police extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed. The contact experienced the consequences related to the fire as mentioned in the federal safety agency recall campaign id number 05v463000 (seats). The contact was in the process of notifying the manufacturer regarding the recall. The vehicle was towed to a recovery facility. The vehicle had not been inspected by the insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
I was driving on the freeway for about 15 minutes when my 04 kia sedona lx started smoking. At first I thought there was a fire in the local area. After a few minutes it occurred to me that it could be my van and pulled over and popped the hood. Flames jumped up in the engine and burned until they were extinguished with a fire extinguisher. The kia service manager said that he believed it was a total loss. My insurance company is now verifying that.
After parking van after a short trip of approximately 2 tenths of a mile the van was turned off and the key was out of the ignition and doors were locked, four houres later someone noticed smoke coming from the van. When the drivers side door was opened flames shot out of the van. After a fire extinguisher was used to extinguish the fire, it was noticed be me that the main wiring harness going to the fuse panel as well as the fuse panel was melted and smoldering. I also noticed that the radio was playing and the dash lights were flashing and the door buzzer was buzzing, all without the being in the ignition. I then proceeded to unhook the positive battery cable to kill power to the van. Kia moters came and got the van and took it to a local dealer. Upon inspection by the dealership they and kia motors concluded that it was not an warrenty issue. It was obvious that this was a wiring fire and was not caused by any freak act of nature or neglegience of me the owner. Kia says that it is not a manufacturer defect. Kia said to take pictures and mail them to them and turn in a claim to my insurance company. We have read of numerous fires just like the one that occured on my van on the internet.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2004 Kia Sedona fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2004 Kia Sedona?
12 of 176 owner complaints about the 2004 Kia Sedona (7%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Kia Sedona?
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 2004 Kia Sedona
Stalling 12Check engine light 8Misfire 7Grinding brakes 6Engine failure 5Headlights 5
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