Investigators say house fire ‘originated within’ Jeep in garage

Flames consumed the Kenny and LaSonja Williams’ house.

“If she hadn’t of smelled the smoke, we wouldn’t have got up,” Kenny told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke. “All I seen was the whole back of the house on fire.”

“You’re there watching everything burning,” LaSonja said.

“It’s very terrible. It’s very traumatic,” Kenny added.

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Investigators say the fire “originated within the 2022 Jeep Wrangler,” they believe “in the area of the front passenger tire and/or engine compartment.” But investigators say they couldn’t determine an exact cause because “a single hypothesis could not be accepted without further, destructive examination and analysis of the evidence.”

That said, the Williamses felt a little vindicated when -- last month -- Jeep recalled more than one million 2021-2025 Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators for “fire risk when parked,” saying the power steering wiring may catch fire.

“My kids were calling me, saying, ‘Mom, have you seen this?’” LaSonja said.

The family says they had been renting the house they were living in, so they’re not out of the building -- and that insurance covered the car -- but they had to move and lost a lot of their belongings. They were touched a religious keepsake survived.

“God was looking out for us,” Kenny said.

The company that owns Jeep, Stellantis, emailed Action 9 it “was sorry to learn of this incident. In the best interest of all parties, the company contracted a leading third-party investigative company to inspect this customer’s vehicle. The inspection involved a thorough examination of the vehicle and the photographing of all critical areas. After a comprehensive review of the findings, it was determined that the incident was not due to a manufacturing responsibility. We understand how concerning this situation may be and appreciate the opportunity to carefully review the matter. Stellantis remains committed to addressing any questions the customer may have.”

Action 9 asked what the third party thought the cause was, if not a manufacturing issue. Stellantis replied, “All I know is that the third party found no evidence the incident was the result of a defect in materials, manufacturing or factory preparation.”

Jeep says to park outside until you get it fixed. Stoogenke adds this:

Keep checking with the dealer to see when the repair is ready.
Someone should notify you. But -- if you aren’t the original owner -- the information may not get to you.
Everyone, no matter what you own, please do two things: 1) Check recalls a few times each year. It’s easy: Check here; 2) Have working smoke detectors.

There is a similar recall involving 460,000 Kia Telluride SUVs.

National Highway Traffic Safety officials warn that in certain 2020 to 2024 models, a seat motor could overheat, causing a fire.

Kia says it’s rolling out a fix next month.

Meanwhile, Kia says to park outside, away from structures.

Learn more here.