CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 has been covering Hyundai and Kia non-crash fires for several years. Now, Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke has learned that a different Hyundai model caught fire while the owner was driving it.
Victor Mooney says he was driving his 2016 Hyundai Accent on Interstate 77 near Carowinds Boulevard when he noticed smoke coming from under the hood.
He pulled over and was able to safely escape, but the car burned completely. Mooney told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke that it’s hard to talk about sometimes.
Stoogenke contacted Hyundai about Mooney’s case. A representative with the company called Mooney that same day and eventually offered him $1,500. Mooney said it was less money than what he would have liked, but that he accepted the offer.
“I work with special needs children,” Mooney said. “It’s not the highest paying field … and I’m also a full-time college student. I’m majoring in social work.”
Other drivers have made claims online about Accents catching fire. Stoogenke found posts on social media from other drivers saying their Accents caught fire without being in crashes.
Channel 9 has been covering Hyundai and Kia non-crash fires since 2018. Stoogenke was one of first in the country to report on it.
He checked to see if there were any recalls or federal investigations into non-crash fires for Accents, specifically for models from 2016 or newer, and he did not find any.
The legal settlement Stoogenke has reported on often includes close to 50 makes and models if you count all the different years, but Accents were not included.
Stoogenke asked Hyundai why none of these include Accents and the company said it was because that model has a different engine.
Mooney thinks Hyundai or the government should do something about Accents too, so he filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, hoping to get things started.
(WATCH BELOW: Federal transportation agency ramps up investigation into Hyundai and Kia non-crash fires)
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