# 2003 KIA SORENTO — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
> NHTSA complaint `552511` · 2005-09-01 · Kia America, Inc.
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** KIA
- **Model:** SORENTO
- **Year:** 2003
- **Manufacturer:** Kia America, Inc.
- **Component:** POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
## Narrative
COMMENTS:  I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU OF WHAT I THINK IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD.  SEVERAL WEEKS AGO MY WIFE AND I WERE RETURNING FROM A VACATION IN OUR  CAR AND IT CAUGHT FIRE. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR SERIOUS DAMAGE.  AT THE END OF THIS LETTER WILL BE ALL THE PARTICULARS. WE WERE COMING  FROM SANTA CRUZ ON HIGHWAY 1, IN CALIFORNIA AND AT WHAT IS CALLED THE SUMMIT, OF I STARTED SEEING SMOKE IN BACK OF OUR VEHICLE. WE STOPPED, TURNED OFF THE CAR ,OPENED THE  HOOD AND THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE DOWN ON THE DRIVER SIDE NEAR THE EXHAUST  MANIFOLD. I CLOSED THE HOOD AND TRIED TO LOCATE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER.   THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF AND WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP.  AFTER A DAY OF TESTING THE ONLY THING THEY FOUND WAS THAT THE  TRANSMISSION WAS SLIGHTLY OVERFILLED, WHICH WAS MY ERROR.  WHILE I REALIZE THAT CAN  CAUSE THE PROBLEM HERE IS MY CONCERN.  THE TECHNICIAN WHO WORKED ON MY CAR SAID THAT TRANSMISSIONS ARE DESIGNED  TO BLOW OUT OR THROUGH OVERFLOW THE TRANSMISSION FILLER TUBE. HE ALSO  SHOWED ME THAT ON TOP OF THE DIPSTICK WAS SLOT WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE  FLUID TO ESCAPE. HOWEVER IT IS LOCATED RIGHT OVER THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.  IT WOULD SEEM THAT IT SHOULD BE LOCATED WHERE THE FLUID WOULD NOT COME  IN CONTACT WITH SUCH HOT ENGINE PARTS. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS AFFECTS OTHER  VEHICLES BUT IT DOES CONCERN ME.  MY VEHICLE IS  2004 KIA SORENTO  6 CYC, AUTOMATIC  WE WERE NOT TOWING ANYTHING NOR WHERE WE LOADED DOWN.  I THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME.  STEVE ELIJAH  225
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*