Kia and Hyundai agreed to recall some cars during the government shutdown, but safety groups say that’s not enough

By Amy Martyn

A former employee of Kia says that faulty repair work by Kia dealerships may be behind complaints that certain models of the cars are catching fire without prior collisions.

According to the Center for Auto Safety, drivers have filed 276 complaints describing non-collision fires in Kia or Hyundai cars. Two brands share many of the same manufacturing components because Hyundai owns a 30 percent stake in Kia. The affected models include the the 2011-2014 Kia Sorento and Optima models, the 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe models, and the 2010-2015 Kia Souls.

A former Kia employee who worked at corporate headquarters says that faulty repair work on Kia engines may be one potential cause of the non-collision fires.

According to whistle-blower Jason Vaughan, a former worker at Kia's warranty department, the situation is the most dangerous he’s seen during his career.

“You’ve handed them [car owners] the keys to a car that could potentially start on fire and burn to the ground within 10 to 15 seconds – which you can’t get out of the car that fast,” Vaughan told ABC 15, a local news station in Phoenix.

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