Complaints About Hyundais and Kias Catching Fire Prompt U.S. Probe
- NHTSA investigating more than 3,000 fire complaints, one fatal
- Manufacturers may face compensation claims, analyst says
Kia Optima at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.
Photographer: Tim Boyle/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating some 3 million U.S. vehicles made by Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. following thousands of complaints that the vehicles went up in flames even without being involved in a crash.
NHTSA tallied more than 3,000 complaints about the Hyundai and Kia vehicles that drivers lodged with the agency or the manufacturer, according to memos disclosing the new probes on the agency’s website. The complaints allege a total of 103 injuries and one fatality, according to the memos.