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2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 1315689 · 2016-09-08

Vehicle

Make
JEEP
Model
GRAND CHEROKEE
Year
2014
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Miles at failure
40,000
Speed
35 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, DRIVER SMELLED SMOKE, BUT DID NOT KNOW THE SOURCE OF SMOKE. (DRIVER THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING BURNING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.) BY THE TIME DRIVER HAD DRIVEN 2.2 MILES ON CITY ROADS (AT SPEED <40 MPH), SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING FROM THE USB PORT ON THE FRONT DASH. DRIVER PULLED OVER ON THE SHOULDER OF A CITY STREET. THE FRONT DASH AROUND USB PORT WAS NOW GLOWING ORANGE. DRIVER TURNED OFF VEHICLE, TOSSED A CUP OF WATER ONTO FRONT DASH IN AREA OF USB PORT, EXITED VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL RESPONDED. FIRST RESPONDERS SAID WATER EXTINGUISHED FIRE. VEHICLE OWNER CALLED LOCAL JEEP DEALER, WHO SAID IN THE CASE OF FIRE TO CALL JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-992-1997. LOCAL JEEP DEALER SUGGESTED THE OWNER ALSO CALL OWNER'S INSURANCE COMPANY. JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSIGNED A CASE # AND SAID OWNER WOULD BE CONTACTED IN 2-3 BUSINESS DAYS. OWNER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL JEEP DEALER. JEEP FCA SENT A 3RD PARTY INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. 21 DAYS AFTER FIRE INCIDENT, JEEP FCA ISSUED A LETTER TO OWNER STATING, "IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY SUBSTANTIATING EVIDENCE INDICATING THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A CONDITION EXISTING IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT LEFT OUR MANUFACTURING PLANT, WE FIND IT NECESSARY TO DENY RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER."

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10904868
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown