Models where US owners report fire most often

Background

This review looks at models where U.S. owners most often report fire-related complaints, using the complaint shares listed in the findings. The highest entry in the dataset is the 2018 Hyundai Kona at 17.76, based on 107 complaints. That makes Hyundai the highest-fire make in this set, and the Kona the highest-fire model in this set.

The list is not a census of every vehicle on the road. It is a ranking of complaint leaders in the supplied findings, centered on model-year entries where fire appears unusually often in owner reporting. In practical terms, it speaks to where owners say a car caught on fire, where an engine fire was alleged, or where a vehicle was reported as being on fire.

Which models lead this complaint ranking

The ranking is topped by a mix of compact SUVs, crossovers, pickups, and a few passenger vehicles. Several Toyota RAV4 model years appear, alongside Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, BMW, Volvo, Lincoln, and Ram entries.

Make	Model	Year	Fire complaint share	Complaint count
Hyundai	Kona	2018	17.76	107
Toyota	RAV4	2014	15.75	273
Toyota	RAV4	2015	15.74	394
Jeep	Gladiator	2022	14.91	161
Kia	Rio	2016	13.89	108
Hyundai	Santa Fe Sport	2014	13.17	205
Volvo	XC90	2017	12.39	113
BMW	X5	2014	11.72	128
Toyota	RAV4	2018	11.4	430
Lincoln	MKC	2016	10.89	101
Kia	Sportage	2015	10.42	192
Kia	Sorento	2020	10.11	178
Toyota	RAV4	2017	10.1	406
Ram	2500	2021	9.8	153
BMW	X3	2015	9.55	157

The spread is notable. At the top sits the 2018 Kona at 17.76, while the lowest entry in this list is the 2015 BMW X3 at 9.55. Even within one nameplate, the complaint share can recur across several years, as the RAV4 does here in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018.

Repeating nameplates stand out

The clearest recurring model in the findings is the Toyota RAV4. It appears 4 times in the top list: 2014 at 15.75 with 273 complaints, 2015 at 15.74 with 394 complaints, 2017 at 10.1 with 406 complaints, and 2018 at 11.4 with 430 complaints.

That pattern matters because repeated appearances across multiple years often shape public questions such as why cars catch fire, what causes a car fire, or why a car would catch on fire. This dataset does not identify a single mechanical cause. What it does show is that owner fire reporting is not isolated to one badge or one body style, and in the RAV4’s case it is not isolated to one model year.

Kia also appears several times, with the 2016 Rio at 13.89, the 2015 Sportage at 10.42, and the 2020 Sorento at 10.11. Hyundai appears with the 2018 Kona at 17.76 and the 2014 Santa Fe Sport at 13.17. BMW appears with the 2014 X5 at 11.72 and the 2015 X3 at 9.55.

What owners are reporting, and what this dataset cannot say

The findings are about fire-related complaints, not confirmed engineering diagnoses. So when readers ask why there are so many car fires, what causes a car to catch fire, or why did my car catch on fire, this dataset can only answer part of the question.

It can identify where fire complaints are concentrated in owner reporting. It cannot, on its own, determine whether a given incident started in the engine bay, electrical system, battery area, fuel system, or another component. It also cannot distinguish from the supplied figures whether a complaint involved smoke, a small flame, a fully involved vehicle fire, or a post-collision event.

That limitation is especially important for questions about electric car fire problems. The list includes the 2018 Hyundai Kona at 17.76, but the findings do not classify complaints by powertrain type, battery chemistry, charging status, or ignition source. The same caution applies to questions framed as car engine on fire: the data here does not break incidents into engine fires versus other fire locations.

Complaint volume and complaint share are not the same thing

The list includes both a complaint share and a complaint count. Those measures can point in different directions.

For example, the 2018 Hyundai Kona has the highest fire complaint share at 17.76, but its complaint count is 107. By contrast, the 2018 Toyota RAV4 has a lower share at 11.4 and a higher complaint count at 430. The 2017 Toyota RAV4 shows 10.1 with 406 complaints, and the 2015 Toyota RAV4 shows 15.74 with 394 complaints.

Make	Model	Year	Fire complaint share	Complaint count
Hyundai	Kona	2018	17.76	107
Toyota	RAV4	2018	11.4	430
Toyota	RAV4	2017	10.1	406
Toyota	RAV4	2015	15.74	394
Toyota	RAV4	2014	15.75	273

This distinction matters for interpretation. A model-year can rank high because fire complaints make up a large share of its complaint record, or because the raw complaint count is large, or both. The findings provide both figures, but they should not be treated as interchangeable.

Model-year mix and market spread

The years in the ranking run from 2014 through 2022. Older and newer vehicles both appear. The 2014 entries include the Toyota RAV4 at 15.75, the [Hyundai Santa Fe Sport](/cars/hyundai/santa-fe-sport) at 13.17, and the BMW X5 at 11.72. Newer entries include the 2020 Kia Sorento at 10.11, the 2021 Ram 2500 at 9.8, and the 2022 Jeep Gladiator at 14.91.

That spread suggests there is no single era in this list where fire complaints are confined. It also shows that the issue is not limited to one segment. Crossovers dominate, but the list also includes the Jeep Gladiator pickup, the Ram 2500 heavy-duty pickup, the Kia Rio passenger car, and premium-brand SUVs such as the Volvo XC90, BMW X5, BMW X3, and Lincoln MKC.

What happens if a car catches fire

Readers often ask what happens if my car catches fire, my car caught on fire what now, or what to do if car catch fire. This dataset does not provide emergency-response instructions, repair outcomes, injury counts, insurance results, or post-fire vehicle disposition. It only identifies model-year entries where owners report fire unusually often.

What it can say is that owner reports of vehicle fire are substantial enough to place certain model years at the top of a complaint ranking. The 2018 Hyundai Kona leads at 17.76 with 107 complaints. The 2022 Jeep Gladiator follows at 14.91 with 161 complaints. The 2016 Kia Rio is at 13.89 with 108 complaints. Those figures indicate that when owners discuss a car being on fire today or a vehicle that caught on fire, some model years appear repeatedly in complaint data.

For questions such as how to fight a car fire, the findings offer no evidence and should not be stretched into safety guidance. The same is true for any claim about what owners should do after a fire. Those topics require sources beyond this complaint ranking.

Limitations

Several limits shape how this ranking should be read.

First, the findings are a list of complaint leaders, not a full market study of every make and model. Second, the figures do not identify root cause. Third, the data does not say whether a complaint involved an electric vehicle, a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, or a hybrid. Fourth, it does not indicate whether a fire began while driving, parked, charging, idling, or after a crash.

The findings also do not provide severity outcomes such as injuries, total losses, or repair costs. They do not say whether a complaint was verified by inspection, linked to a recall, or resolved by a dealer. For that reason, the ranking is best understood as a map of owner-reported fire concentration, not a final explanation of why cars catch fire.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Which model leads this fire-related complaint ranking? A: The 2018 Hyundai Kona leads at 17.76 with 107 complaints.

Q: Which make ranks highest in this dataset? A: Hyundai is the highest-fire make in the findings, led by the 2018 Kona at 17.76 and the 2014 Santa Fe Sport at 13.17.

Q: Does the Toyota RAV4 appear more than once? A: Yes. The RAV4 appears in 2014 at 15.75 with 273 complaints, 2015 at 15.74 with 394 complaints, 2017 at 10.1 with 406 complaints, and 2018 at 11.4 with 430 complaints.

Q: Are newer vehicles included, or only older ones? A: Newer vehicles are included. The list includes the 2020 Kia Sorento at 10.11, the 2021 Ram 2500 at 9.8, and the 2022 Jeep Gladiator at 14.91.

Q: Does this dataset explain what causes a car fire? A: No. It reports fire-related complaint leaders, but it does not identify a root cause, ignition source, or fire location.

Q: Does the dataset answer what to do if my car catches fire? A: No. The findings contain complaint shares and counts, such as the 2018 Hyundai Kona at 17.76 with 107 complaints, but they do not provide emergency or post-fire guidance.