1999 DODGE STRATUS — STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

ON DECEMBER 30, 2006 AT 6:10 A.M. (PST) OUR VEHICLE (1999 DODGE STRATUS, CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED SIGNIFICANTLY. MY WIFE LEFT HOME FOR WORK AROUND 5:18 A.M. AND ARRIVED AROUND 6:00 A.M. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS A CO-WORKER CAME IN AND SAID THERE WAS A VEHICLE ON FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT. AFTER DESCRIBING THE VEHICLE AND ITS LOCATION MY WIFE REALIZED THAT IT WAS HER VEHICLE HER CO-WORKER WAS TALKING ABOUT. SHE WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO FIND THE SANTA BARBARA FIRE DEPARTMENT ON SCENE ATTEMPTING TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE. SHE NOTIFIED ME OF THE EVENTS AND I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HER JOB. UPON MY ARRIVAL I SPOKE WITH THE FIRE CAPTAIN (NAME UNKNOWN) AND HE INFORMED ME THAT IT TOOK THEM CLOSE TO 40 MINUTES TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE FIRST USING WATER, THEN UTILIZING FOAM. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. WE FILED A CLAIM WITH OUR AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE PROVIDER, INTERINSURANCE EXCHANGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE CLUB, AND THEY SENT AN INVESTIGATOR OUT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THIS INDIVIDUAL REPORTS THE VEHICLE AS A TOTAL LOSS. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WHEN I CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE PROVIDER TO FILE A CLAIM I WAS ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY OUTSTANDING RECALLS ON OUR VEHICLE AND I INFORMED THEM THAT THERE WERE NONE. HOWEVER, ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2007 WE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE (E23 - HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE) WHICH READS "THE HIGH PRESSURE POWER STEERING HOSE ON YOUR VEHICLE MAY CRACK AND DEVELOP A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK. POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE