2018 Kia Sedona: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Oct 16, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · IL · fire

I was driving, my car just stopped, couldn’t start, started smoking and started on fire.

Filed Jul 2, 2026 · Electrical · 90,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sedona. The contact stated that the air bag and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with alternator failure; however, the battery was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that after his wife had pulled into the driveway, the instrument panel turned blank, and the driver noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The driver turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle cooled down. The contact stated that upon attempting to restart the vehicle later in the evening, the vehicle failed to start. The contact opened the hood and noticed that unknown parts had melted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that the battery terminals and an unknown control module had melted due to an electrical failure; however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Filed Sep 14, 2025 · Engine, Suspension · OH · fire

There was a fire under my minivan as my husband was driving it, creating smoke and flames. He lost power to the van and had to coast to the right side of the highway where he came to a stop with the flames occurring. This is the family vehicle and I have small children. We had no warning lights or any indication that there would be a fire in my vehicle as the van had been running smoothly, and I had kept up with all recommended maintenance (see Carfax report). On July 31st, I was told by Kia America that there was a fire in the engine compartment and that it was inconclusive and they could not determine what started the fire. On August 15th, my father and husband went to Castrucci Kia (where the car was) and were shown that there were holes in the engine block, and the service representative Brandon stated that the engine failure had probably thrown some of the rods causing the holes in the lower engine block sparking a fire when the leaking oil hit the catalytic converter. My insurance was involved, but I was not able to obtain a settlement from them, but I kept up on all maintenance and adherence to Kia guidelines and my engine unexpectedly failed and caught on fire. I was told I would need a new engine at an approximate cost ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. I believe that my 2018 Kia Sedona's 3.3 L gasoline direct injection engine was manufactured defectively resulting in catastrophic engine failure, APPARENTLY puncturing the engine block, causing engine oil to leak and ignite a fire. Our attempts to address this critical issue with Kia have been met with significant resistance and delays. It appears that Kia refuses to take responsibility. There has been an escalating number of safety complaints and instances directly linked to the 3.3 L Kia V6 Lambda II engine. I appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue with KIA AMERICA and the local KIA service center where my vehicle is located

Filed Jun 18, 2024 · Engine · NC · fire

10 mile drive to town. On return home, smoke began pouring from the engine compartment. Within 3-4 minutes flames came from grill area, and within 15 minutes entire car was engulfed in flames.

Filed Jun 30, 2022 · Driver assistance, Electrical · LA · fire

Our 2018 Kia Sedona SXL caught on fire in the engine compartment while driving. IT almost killed my wife (driver) and my 4 year old son. Car had been driven only 2 blocks after picking up my son from daycare. The car started to produce black smoke incessantly from the engine compartment that made visibility almost impossible. Bystandards were waving with their arms up and trying to warn my wife and she managed to stop in a parking lot and run away with my son. Car got very hot. Despite of keeping regular maintenance, car has had a myriad of issues: electrical components going off and not working anymore (cruise control, rear view camera, navigation system), booming sound from air conditioner like an old airplane is inside the cabin..etc.There were no warning lights suggesting any problem before car caught on fire. Please help.