I WAS DRIVING MY 2015 KIA SOUL ON MY NORMAL ROUTE TO WORK ON 4/5/18. IT WAS A DARK, CLEAR MORNING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS MOVING WITH TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. AT JUST ABOUT 5:30 A.M., THE VEHICLE MADE A NOISE AND LOST ACCELERATION. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND PARK THE VEHICLE. I WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES WHEN I SAW SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I EXITED THE VEHICLE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE VEHICLE WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. NO OTHER PERSONS OR VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW AND IT HAD HAD NO SIGNIFICANT MECHANICAL WORK IN THE 2 YEARS THAT I OWNED IT, JUST NORMAL OIL CHANGES AND A COUPLE OF SAFETY RECALLS. NEITHER THE FIREFIGHTER ON THE SCENE, NOR THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER, WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE, ONLY THAT IT STARTED IN THE ENGINE.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation