← NHTSA complaints

2012 DODGE DART — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire · 1450411 · 2018-02-26

Vehicle

Make
DODGE
Model
DART
Year
2012
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Miles at failure
71,000
Speed
70 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE. I NOTICED MY BATTERY LIGHT COME ON ABOUT 1 MILE FROM MY EXIT AND LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER FLUID SPRAYED ONTO MY WINDSHIELD FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND AS SOON AS I STOPPED, SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I WALKED AWAY FROM THE CAR AND CALLED 911 AT THAT POINT. DURING THE 911 CALL THERE WAS ONLY SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE BAY AREA. RIGHT NEAR THE END OF THE CALL I STARTED TO SEE PLASTIC THAT WAS ON FIRE DRIPPING BELOW THE CAR ONTO THE GRASS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED LESS THAN 5 MINUTES LATER AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE BAY WAS IN FLAMES, 10-20 FEET HIGH. THE FIRE MELTED ALL THE PLASTICS AND MOST OF THE METAL OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME AND ENGINE. EVEN THE STEEL HOOD WAS MELTED AWAY AND GONE. MY CAR HAD A LONG HISTORY OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES DATING BACK A LITTLE OVER A YEAR FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRE. DURING THAT TIME, THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES ENCOUNTERED INCLUDED THE DASH BECOMING COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE AND NO ELECTRONICS WORKING, THE DASH SCREEN REBOOTING WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR CUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER NOT WORKING, AND MORE. DURING THE TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED THE PCM, BCM (THREE TIMES), AND THE BATTERY. AT ONE POINT, CHRYSLER ENGINEERING WAS INVOLVED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG AND SAID THE CAR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. ENOUGH PARTS WERE FINALLY REPLACED TO FIX THE CA

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
11074949
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown