NHTSA complaint: 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE "COUGHED OR SPUTTERED" AND THE ENGINE QUIT. I TURNED THE KEY TO OFF POSITION AND BACK ON AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY ONE TO TWO MILES WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION, LIKE A BACKFIRE, COME FROM UNDER THE CAR. THE CAR BEGAN SMOKING IMMEDIATELY A BLUISH SMOKE. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT SO I SLOWED DOWN, TURNED AROUND AND BEGAN HEADING BACK TOWARD THE CITY. THE CAR DID NOT HAVE FULL POWER AND SO I WAS ONLY GOING TWENTY TO THIRTY MILES PER HOUR AND HAD TRAVELED ABOUT ONE HALF MILE WHEN ANOTHER CAR BEGAN PASSING ME AND FLAGGED ME DOWN TELLING ME THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. BY THE TIME I GOT STOPPED THE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT THE HOOD AND OUT FROM THE DASH. I IMMDEDIATELY GRABBED MISCELLANEOUS PERSONAL ITEMS AND CARRIED THEM ABOUT 5O FEET BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO RUN BACK FOR ONE MORE TRIP BEFORE IT LOOKED ENTIRELY UNSAFE TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER TRIP. THE WITNESS CALLED 911 BUT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY BURNT UP BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE. *AK
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation