INDIANAPOLIS — Feeling safe in your own vehicle is something you may take for granted.
Many drivers have lost a sense of security after reports of Kia and Hyundai cars bursting into flames. Call 6 Investigates has been following the issue for nearly a year now.
Amanda Hickman worries her Kia Soul may burst into flames every time she gets into her car.
"What if I couldn't get pulled over in time?" Hickman asked. "Or, you know, we couldn't get out in time, and the car catches on fire."
The Center for Auto Safety says they believe nearly five million vehicles on the road right now have the problem, but so far only ten percent have been recalled.
Even though Amanda wasn't experiencing any issues with her car, she received a recall notice in the mail and took her car in.
Technicians replaced the catalytic converter, but that's when more problems started.
"Sometimes, I'll go to go, and you can literally push the pedal down to the floor, and you're just like barely moving," Hickman said.
Now, Hickman says the car is making a knocking sound. A sound RTV6 heard for itself.
She says the dashboard also gets extremely hot and the car is randomly losing power — all things that the Center for Auto Safety says are usually symptoms before the vehicles burst into flames.
Hickman took it back to the shop, where they said they checked the codes and there aren't any issues.
"Something has to be done, my car is not wanting to drive, I feel like I'm going to get hit with my three kids in the car," Hickman expressed.
The Center for Auto Safety says if you have a knocking sound if your dashboard is getting hot or your losing power, get your car into the shop as soon as possible. The center also says to make sure to reach out to the auto maker's customer service to report the problem.
RTV6 reached out to Kia about Hickman's vehicle; they say they didn't have a record of her reaching out to Kia directly.
Kia said:
"Consumer Affairs will create a case and reach out to her for additional details and determine what assistance can be provided after reviewing the maintenance and repair history."
No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, this is an excellent time to check your car for any potential recalls. The best way to do that is to grab the VIN number off of the dashboard, or the sticker on the side of the car. Take that to SaferCar.gov and enter it to make sure you don't have any recalls on your vehicle.
