NHTSA complaint: 2000 LEXUS ES — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2018, AT AROUND 1:05 P.M I WAS DRIVING MY LEXUS ES 300 DOWN ROUTE 88 PENNSYLVANIA APPROXIMATELY 5 MINS FROM MY RESIDENCE. WHEN SUDDENLY SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. I BEGAN TO PANIC AND PULLED VEHICLE OVER AND STOPPED TURNING IGNITION OFF AND IMMEDIATELY FLED THE VEHICLE. HEAVY SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. I RAN TO THE CLOSEST RESIDENCE AND POUNDED ON THE DOOR TO GET HELP AND TO WARN THE OCCUPANTS OF THE POSSIBLE FIRE. AS I WAS PARKED AT THE EDGE OF THEIR DRIVEWAY. THERE WAS NO ANSWER, AT THE SAME TIME A PASSERBY NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD FIRE UNDERNEATH MY VEHICLE, HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. POLICE RESPONDED IN ONE MINUTE. FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED WITHIN FIVE MINUTES, BY THIS TIME VEHICLE WAS FULLY ENGULFED. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. VEHICLE HAD JUST ST UNDER 150,000 MILES AT TIME OF INCEDENT.. CONTACTED TOYOTA WHO THEN HIRED AN INDEPENDENT FIRE INVESTIGATOR, WHO STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS DAMAGED AT THE SUNROOF, SO INTERIOR FUSE PANEL AND CENTER CONSOLE.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation