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2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

fire · 604464 · 2006-11-28

Vehicle

Make
VOLKSWAGEN
Model
PASSAT
Year
2003
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Component
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Miles at failure
75,000
Speed
25 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

MY DRIVER SEAT STARTED ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE HAD A CAN OF SODA ON HAND TO POUR ON IT BECAUSE THE FLAMES WERE COMING FROM DEEP INSIDE THE INTERIOR OF THE FOAM PADDING INSIDE THE SEAT. I WAS NOT INJURED, BUT BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE FLAMES, COULD HAVE EASILY LOST MY ENTIRE CAR IF I HAD NOT BEEN ON A SLOW ROAD (ABLE TO STOP QUICKLY) AND DOUSE IT WITH SOMETHING WET. I NOTICED THAT THE SEAT WARMER WAS ON SO IMMEDIATELY SHUT IT OFF. SEVERAL DAYS LATER I TURNED THE WARMER BACK ON TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN - WITHIN 60 SECONDS SMOKE AND SPARKS WERE VISIBLE FROM THE HOLE CAUSED BY THE ORIGINAL FIRE. THERE WERE REAL FLAMES AND MY CAR WAS FULL OF SMOKE. HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO PUT THEM OUT QUICKLY AND HAD MY CHILDREN STRAPPED INTO THEIR CAR SEATS AT THE TIME THIS COMPLAINT WOULD PROBABLY BE A DEATH NOTICE. *JB

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10174570
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown