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2019 RAM 1500 — UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire · 1692780 · 2020-09-15

Vehicle

Make
RAM
Model
1500
Year
2019
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Miles at failure
16,500
Speed
70 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, IN MAY 2020, I RENTED A 2019 DODGE RAM TO FACILITATE A MOVE FROM ILLINOIS TO FLORIDA. 8 HOURS INTO THE JOURNEY, THE VEHICLE ERUPTED INTO FLAMES, NEARLY KILLING MY SON, FIANC, MYSELF AND OUR PUPPY. FORTUNATELY, SOMEONE DRIVING BEHIND US FLAGGED US DOWN WHEN THEY NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY ESCAPE, CALLED 911, THEN HAD TO WATCH AS ALL OF OUR PERSONAL EFFECTS AND SOME VALUABLES WERE DESTROYED BY FIRE. THAT WAS ON MAY 31, 2020, INSPECTIONS WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, WITH RAM BEING ONE OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE INSPECTION PROCESS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE INSPECTORS WERE UNABLE TO DEFINITIVELY SAY WHAT HAPPENED, ALTHOUGH THEY THEORIZED THAT THE REAR, DRIVERS SIDE CALIPER MAY HAVE SEIZED UP, RESULTING IN THE FIRE. EITHER WAY, NOTHING WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. WHILE I AM RELIEVED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE HARM, IT'S UPSETTING THAT ALL OF OUR KEEPSAKES, PERSONAL EFFECTS AND SOME VALUABLES WERE DESTROYED. TO ADD TO THE HEARTBREAK, WE HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM ANYONE ACTING ON BEHALF OF RAM. CONSIDERING THE NEAR MISS WE SUFFERED, I WOULD THINK THAT RAM WOULD SHOW SOME COMPASSION AND REACH OUT TO US. VERY DISAPPOINTING, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A DODGE AFFILIATED VEHICLE (AGAIN) IN MY LIFE.

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
11355284
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown