← NHTSA complaints

2016 RAM 1500 — ENGINE

fire · 1597150 · 2019-08-23

Vehicle

Make
RAM
Model
1500
Year
2016
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
ENGINE
Miles at failure
69,000
Speed
25 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK 22 AUGUST 2019, AN 8 MILE DRIVE. I WENT TO ACCELERATE TO REACH POSTED SPEED LIMIT AFTER TURNING OFF OF A SIDE STREET ONTO MAIN ROAD. I HAD NO FORWARD MOMENTUM WHEN I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO MANUALLY SHIFT GEARS THINKING IT WAS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP TO RPM BUT STILL BARELY ANY FORWARD MOMENTUM. I WAS LOSING SPEED QUICKLY. SOMETHING GRABBED MY ATTENTION, NOT SURE IF I HEARD SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY BUT I HAPPENED TO LOOK OUT MY REVIEW AND SIDE MIRRORS AND NOTICE A HUGE PLUME OF SMOKE EXITING MY VEHICLE. AT ABOUT THAT SAME MOMENT, I NOTICED A LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FROM THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS OFF, I STILL NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND FRONT WHEEL WELLS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT TO BE A COOLANT HOSE RUPTURE DUE TO THE COLOR OF THE SMOKE/STEAM. I IMMEDIATELY JUMPED OUT AND OPENED THE HOOD THINKING IT WAS A COOLANT ISSUE. RIGHT AWAY I NOTICED A FLAME AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE. I HAD NO ACCESS TO WATER WHERE I WAS LOCATED AND MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO BLOW IT OUT. IT WORKED FOR ME BUT PROBABLY ONLY BECAUSE I HAD GOT TO THE FIRE BEFORE IT WAS ABLE TO SPREAD TOO QUICK. FIRE/RESCUE WAS DISPATCHED, REMOVED ENGINE COVER AND NOTICED SMOLDERING PLASTIC/WIRE HARNESS AND DOUSED WITH 4-5 CUPS OF WATER UNTIL ALL TRACES OF FIRE WERE GONE. TOW TRUCK DELIVERED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP APPROX 1

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
11246138
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown