MY SON, WILLIAM, WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 DODGE PICKUP ON HIGHWAY 78 WHEN IT BEGAN TO LUNGE. SINCE WE HAD TO PUT 2 TRANSMISSIONS IN HIS PREVIOUS DODGE PICKUP, HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. HE STARTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND LOOKED IN HIS REARVIEW MIRROR FOR TRAFFIC WHEN HE SAW FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND BED. HE HURRIEDLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND WHEN HE OPENED THE DRIVERS DOOR FLAMES ENGLUFED THE CAB. HE HAD TO GO OUT THROUGH THE FIRE. ABOUT 1 MINUTE AFTER HE AND HIS PASSENGERS EMERGED FROM THE PICKUP, IT EXPLODED. THE ONLY THING LEFT OF THE TRUCK WAS WHAT WAS METAL. WILL HAD SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE,EARS,NECK, HANDS AND ARMS. HE SPENT ONE NIGHT IN THE HOSPITAL. I CONTACTED DODGE AND WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE AN INVESTAGATOR LOOK AT THE TRUCK. I WAS THEN TOLD BY DODGE SINCE THE PICKUP BURNED TOTALLY THERE WAS NO WAY TO DETERMINE THEY WERE AT FAULT. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A NUMBER OF FIRES IN DODGE VEHICLES. *AK