My daughter owns a 2002 kia sportage that recently broke down due to a fuel leak on top of the gastank. Car was towed to the nearest repair facility. Turns out a plastic nozzle had cracked off the high pressure fuel supply line coming out of the gastank itself resulting in pumping fuel everywhere! Luckily,vehicle didn't catch on fire! Part was finally replaced 4th time back to repair facility, but was replaced with the same plastic nozzle instead of a metal nozzle?this is my safety concern with this vehicle, afraid the samething will eventually happen again. Had the vehicle caught on fire, my 17yr old daughter would probably not had enough time to exit the vehicle, due to the amount of fuel underneath it? Not sure if this is a common problem with this vehicle, but I feel this situation should be addressed as a safety concern.
2002 Kia Sportage: fire, smoke or burning smell
7 of the 234 complaints about the 2002 Kia Sportage describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 65,838
- recalls
- 0
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 kia sportage. While driving at approximately 50 MPH, the fan blade blew into pieces. He replaced the power steering reservoir, antifreeze reserve tank, all three serpentine belts, air intake, and the intake hose himself, to correct the failure. He then received a recall notice (the federal safety agency campaign id number: 07v161000, engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan) and petitioned for reimbursement with the manufacturer. The dealer advised he would not be considered for reimbursement until he took his vehicle to an authorized dealer to have the recall repair performed. He soon noticed the smell of burning antifreeze circulating throughout the cabin of the vehicle and the engine became unusually warm. The dealer replaced the fan belt under the recall campaign and was denied reimbursement. After repairs, he continued to smell burning antifreeze. The manufacturer was contacted and he was advised to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The current mileage was 68,835 and the failure mileage was approximately 65,838.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 kia sportage. While driving 65 MPH, the contact heard a loud bang and then the vehicle decelerated and shut off. He noticed white smoke coming from the rear. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the cooling fan disintegrated. The federal safety agency recall number 07v161000 (engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan) was found. The dealer stated that they would replace the fan. The contact felt that the damaged radiator caused by the defective fan should be repaired. The failure and current mileages were 31,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 kia sportage. The vehicle was under recall regarding the engine fan. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle burst into flames. The fire began when the engine overheated, which caused the fan to crack and strike the radiator. The heat also caused the head of the valves to warp. The fan was previously replaced. This failure has occurred twice. The recall number that was referenced was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 66,000.
Dt: problem occured when smoke coming from under the dash. Flames shot out from under dash. No warning prior. A burning smell was coming from vehicle prior to flames. It was an electrical fire. The dealer reports it may be a problem with the ignition switch. The car was pulled, a person helped by trying to put out fire with a small fire extinguisher, then owner went inside a building and got antoher fire extinguisher. The fire was out by the time the fire dept. Arrived. The battery was disconnected. Fire department reported that it was an electrical fire from an unkown source. Driver experienced smoke inhalation but wouldnt go to hospital. And was burned on fingers trying to put it out.
Vehicle caught on fire within the engine compartment on three separate occasions while driving 45 MPH or more. Consumer extinguished the fires. After the last incident vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed consumer that the cause was due to oil dripping onto the manifold. Manufacturer was also notified.
While traveling on the highway and without prior warning. A bad odor was coming inside of the vehicle. Driver's side wheel cover was on fire.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2002 Kia Sportage fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2002 Kia Sportage?
7 of 234 owner complaints about the 2002 Kia Sportage (3%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2017.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Kia Sportage?
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 2002 Kia Sportage
Fuel smell 30Check engine light 16Fuel leak 14No deployment 10Stalling 9Jerking 6Grinding brakes 5Fuel pump 5Overheating 5
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