New fire complaints with Chrysler, Kia

Investigations into two more vehicle makes catching fire have been launched, just months after an investigation into similar complaints regarding the Ford F-150 pickup truck. The Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) has entered the Preliminary Evaluation (PE) stage of investigation, gathering information about the complaints against the Kia Sedona and several Chrysler models and collecting manufacturer information. The ODI is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

An ODI Resume, dated June 29, 2005 states that 24 complaints of compartment fires were reported in the Dodge Stratus, Plymouth Breeze, and Chrysler Cirrus in model years 1999 and 2000, which affects an estimated 300,000 owners. Eleven of the complaints indicated that the fires started while the vehicle was being driven, while the remaining 13 occurred after the vehicle had been parked for several minutes. Eighteen of the reports were filed within the last year.

The ODI launched another PE on June 28, 2005 to collect information about five reports of fires in the Kia Sedona minivan. Four of the fires occurred shortly after the vehicle was parked, and one started in transit. All five fires seem to have started around the instrument panel and near the steering column. There are almost 53,000 of these vehicles on the road today.

Typically a PE takes about four months to complete, unless the manufacturer decides to issue a recall before the PE is completed. Should the ODI decide that further investigation is necessary, it will enter the Engineering Analysis phase of its investigation, which usually takes up to a year.

After that, a recall may be issued if the manufacturer decides to go ahead with one, or if the ODI’s investigation decides that a safety-related defect does in fact exist.

To date, there have been no fatalities or injuries associated with the fires, although one Kia Sedona was listed as “totaled” in the ODI Resume. The recent fires in the Ford F-150 have caused extensive damage to garages and nearby homes after igniting, and at least one death may have been caused. Those fires were due to a faulty cruise control switch, which cracked and came into contact with flammable fluid.

The ODI did not list any possible explanation for the causes of the fires in these two newer investigations.

If you have been injured by a vehicle fire or any other type of vehicle defect, contact a Jim S. Adler & Associates personal injury lawyer today by clicking the link  on this page or call us directly. We can help you recoup your losses including medical bills and lost time from work, and help you receive compensation. Contact us right now for a free case review.

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