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NHTSA under pressure after Kia 'explodes' into flames [Video]

NHTSA under pressure after Kia 'explodes' into flames [Video]

Safety advocates have identified hundreds of complaints alleging engine compartment fires in certain Hyundai and Kia models.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has come under increasing pressure to step up its investigation into complaints of engine compartment fires in certain Hyundai and Kia models.

A month after the Center for Auto Safety sent a formal petition to the NHTSA asking for an investigation, a video filmed in Texas in October and posted by NBC 5 shows a 2014 Kia Soul engulfed in flames on the side of a highway.

Linda Creech was reportedly flagged down by another driver who apparently noticed the first sign of trouble. She stopped and quickly evacuated the vehicle with her son after noticing flames underneath the vehicle.

"And the next thing the car just exploded," she said. "Like a mission impossible movie without Tom Cruise."

The NHTSA has confirmed that it is investigating 618,000 vehicles for engine failure complaints, some of which included allegations of non-collision fires, according to the local news outlet. The Kia Soul captured on video was not included in the investigation, but the NHTSA has promised to expand the scope of its inquiry and take action "as warranted and based upon data."