NHTSA complaint: 1996 MERCEDES BENZ C280 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
MY NEIGHBOR WOKE ME UP TELLING ME MY CAR WAS ON FIRE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE TRUNK AND SO I GOT THE WATERHOSE AND STARTED SPRAYING WATER IN THE TRUNK BUT IT WOULDN'T STOP OR PUT OUT THE FIRE SO I CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND HAD TO SPRAY SOME CHEMICALS ALL OVER IN THE CAR TO PUT THE FIRE OUT AND CUT THE WIRE TO THE BATTERY CAUSE THE WHOLE CAR WAS ON FIRE THEY SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE THAT'S WHY I COULDN'T PUT IT OUT WITH WATER. MY CAR WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE MOBILE HOME ESTATE PARKING LOT OVER NIGHT AND IN THE MORNING I WOKE UP TO MY CAR BURNED ALL INSIDE BY THE TIME IT WAS ALL DONE MY CAR IS TOTALY RUINED AND SO IS EVERYTHING INSIDE OF IT. THE WINDOW SHATTERED FROM GETTING SO HOT AND THE TIRE WENT FLAT . WHY WASN'T THIS CAR RECALLED AND FIXED IF THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THEM CATCHING ON FIRE? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THE CAR SHOULD OF BEEN RECALLED THERE MUST BE SOME DEFECT WITH THE WIRING OR WIRE HARNESS. HOW DOES A PARKED CAR CATCH ON FIRE LIKE THIS WHEN ITS NOT EVEN RUNNING. THAT'S DEFINETLY DANGEROUS AND I FEEL I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BY MERCEDES FOR A CAR THE SAME OR BETTER FOR THEIR FAILURE TO NOTIFY ME OF ANY SAFETY RECALL ON THE VEHICLE.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation