NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE05-035: ELECTRICAL FIRE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-035 on June 28, 2005 and closed it on October 19, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2003 Kia Sedona for it and links recall 05V-463 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE05-035 (also written PE05035)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed October 19, 2005
Opened: June 28, 2005
Closed: October 19, 2005
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Component: Electrical System — Wiring — Interior/Under Dash
Recall linked by NHTSA: 05V-463: POWER SEAT WIRING, reported October 5, 2005
Vehicles and equipment: 2003 Kia Sedona

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-035.

BY LETTER DATED OCTOBER 4, 2005, KIA NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 05V463) INVOLVING ALL MODEL YEAR (MY) 2002, 2003 KIA SEDONA EX VEHICLES AND CERTAIN MY 2004 KIA SEDONA EX VEHICLES.KIA?S RECALL COVERS 74,276 VEHICLES.KIA REPORTS THAT FIRES WERE CAUSED BY WIRING UNDER FRONT SEATS BEING MISROUTED; THIS ALLOWED THE WIRE TO BE PINCHED BY METAL SEAT COMPONENTS.OVER TIME, THE SHORT IN THE WIRING UNDER THE SEAT CAUSES OVERHEATING OF COMPONENTS IN THE FUSE BOX (LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE INSTRUMENT PANEL).

SPECIFICALLY, THE CIRCUIT BREAKER DIODES CYCLE ON-OFF-ON ETC. AND OVERHEAT.KIA WILL INSPECT VEHICLES FOR PROPER WIRE ROUTING AND INSTALL PROTECTIVE COVERING OVER CERTAIN METAL PARTS UNDER FRONT SEATS.DEALERS WILL ALSO APPLY A LABEL WARNING TECHNICIANS NOT TO REMOVE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER DIODES WHICH CANNOT BE SERVICED BUT CAN BE DAMAGED BY REMOVAL ATTEMPTS.BASED ON KIA?S SAFETY RECALL ACTION, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-035. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Kia

Kia Sedona
- 2003

All Kia recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Kia VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-035

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.