Complaint 2189047
2020 KIA FORTE • UNKNOWN OR OTHER • incident Mar 21, 2026
- Complaint ID
- 2189047
- Make
- KIA
- Model
- FORTE
- Model Year
- 2020
- Component
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Incident Date
- Mar 21, 2026
- Date Received
- Mar 22, 2026
- Data As Of
- Jul 1, 2026
Complaint Summary
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Owner Narrative
While driving a 2020 Kia Forte on the expressway at normal speed, the vehicle was operating normally with no prior warning lights or known issues. Suddenly, the brakes began to feel weak, as if they were failing. Immediately after, a popping sound was heard from the vehicle, followed by smoke coming from the side/underneath area. Within moments, the smoke intensified and the vehicle caught fire. The driver pulled over to the side of the road as quickly as possible. The fire spread rapidly, and within approximately 1â2 minutes the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. There were no prior warning indicators, messages, or symptoms before the incident. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The vehicle is available for inspection by insurance or manufacturer if needed. The incident created an immediate safety hazard due to loss of braking performance and rapid fire spread while driving at highway speed.
Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.
Related
Data sources & freshness
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Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
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