Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site

Vehicle fire

Most reported: 2014 Ford Escape with 97 reports. Across the 252 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 2,988.

2,988owner reports
252model years affected
60,000median miles
158involved a crash
2,988involved a fire

Fire reports are the most serious complaints on the site. Owners describe fires while driving, while parked and switched off, and for plug-in cars, while charging. Many say it started under the hood. Some already had a recall notice for the cause, and some got one afterward.

Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do

The 25 vehicles with the most reports

Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of fire reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.

1
2014 Ford Escape1 crash97 fires
975% of its complaints76k mi
2
2015 Kia Soul74 fires
748% of its complaints80k mi
3
2015 Kia Optima1 crash70 fires
707% of its complaints92k mi
4
2014 Kia Soul1 crash57 fires
577% of its complaints92k mi
5
2015 Ram 15001 crash56 fires
564% of its complaints79k mi
6
2016 Kia Sorento1 crash45 fires
454% of its complaints72k mi
7
2015 Hyundai Sonata1 crash44 fires
444% of its complaints108k mi
8
2014 Kia Sorento2 crashes43 fires
435% of its complaints100k mi
9
2015 Toyota RAV41 crash40 fires
4013% of its complaints60k mi
10
2014 Kia Optima3 crashes39 fires
397% of its complaints90k mi
11
2014 Hyundai Sonata2 crashes35 fires
355% of its complaints84k mi
12
2016 Kia Soul35 fires
354% of its complaints79k mi
13
2016 Ram 150035 fires
352% of its complaints80k mi
14
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee1 crash34 fires
342% of its complaints65k mi
15
2018 Ford F-15015 crashes32 fires
321% of its complaints11k mi
16
2017 Kia Sorento31 fires
314% of its complaints90k mi
17
2014 Kia Forte30 fires
307% of its complaints100k mi
18
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe1 crash28 fires
286% of its complaints62k mi
19
2018 Toyota RAV41 crash28 fires
288% of its complaints49k mi
20
2015 Jeep Cherokee27 fires
272% of its complaints21k mi
21
2015 Jeep Wrangler27 fires
276% of its complaints35k mi
22
2017 Kia Sportage26 fires
267% of its complaints79k mi
23
2021 Jeep Wrangler25 fires
253% of its complaints28k mi
24
2016 Ford F-15024 fires
241% of its complaints56k mi
25
2016 Hyundai Tucson24 fires
241% of its complaints75k mi

Where it dominates the complaint file

Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe fire. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).

1
2015 Toyota RAV41 crash40 fires
4013% of its complaints60k mi
2
2018 Toyota RAV41 crash28 fires
288% of its complaints49k mi
3
2015 Kia Soul74 fires
748% of its complaints80k mi
4
2014 Kia Forte30 fires
307% of its complaints100k mi
5
2014 Kia Optima3 crashes39 fires
397% of its complaints90k mi
6
2015 Kia Optima1 crash70 fires
707% of its complaints92k mi
7
2014 Kia Soul1 crash57 fires
577% of its complaints92k mi
8
2017 Kia Sportage26 fires
267% of its complaints79k mi
9
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe1 crash28 fires
286% of its complaints62k mi
10
2015 Jeep Wrangler27 fires
276% of its complaints35k mi

By model, every year together

The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.

When it happens

1,803 of the 2,988 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 28,000 and 92,000 miles; the median is 60,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.

Reports by model year

Every report of fire, grouped by the model year of the car. 158 involved a crash and 2,988 a fire. 333 people were hurt.

What owners describe

Share of the 2,988 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.

while driving44%

it started under the hood42%

while parked and off41%

a recall existed for the cause20%

while charging3%

What got replaced

Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.

the battery128

the fuel line or pump97

the wiring76

What it is and what to do

Where vehicle fires start

The U.S. Fire Administration's study of highway vehicle fires from 2014 to 2016 counted an estimated 171,500 a year, causing an average of 345 deaths and 1,300 injuries annually. Sixty-two percent started in the engine, running gear or wheel area. Mechanical failure was the leading contributing factor, at 45 percent, and electrical failures such as short circuits contributed to 21 percent. The items most often ignited first were the insulation around electrical wiring and flammable liquids in the engine area. Owners here name wiring, the battery and fuel lines or pumps.

For electric and hybrid cars, NHTSA notes that the high-voltage batteries are corrosive and shouldn't be exposed to standing water, and that a flooded EV can become a shock hazard that may lead to a fire. It has also adopted a safety standard, FMVSS 305a, aimed at battery fires during driving, charging and after a crash.

Warning signs

The Car Care Council's system guide lists a smell of burnt rubber among the signs of a slipping belt and leaks among the signs of a cooling problem, and it says to have the exhaust checked at once if you suspect a leak. Treat a smell of fuel, melting plastic or hot oil the same way, along with fuses that keep blowing. Those deserve a look the same day.

What to do if it happens

Stop as soon as it's safe, turn the engine off, get everyone out and away from the car, and call 911. If an EV has been through a flood and you suspect the battery is damaged, NHTSA's advice is to contact your dealer or emergency services.

After a fire, or a near miss

Photograph the damage and keep any parts your insurer or the manufacturer might want. Then file a complaint with NHTSA. Complaints go into a public database with personal details removed, and NHTSA says similar reports from several owners can point to a defect that warrants an investigation.

Recalls and parking warnings

Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup now. Recall repairs are free, and some fire recalls come with a do-not-drive instruction until the fix is done (this site marks those on each vehicle's recall list). If the part isn't ready yet, follow the interim safety guidance in the manufacturer's letter, as NHTSA advises.

Sources

Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.