NHTSA Complaint #10013624 — 1994 CHRYSLER LHS

FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT TOTALLY DESTROYED CAR. THERE WAS A LARGE PUDDLE OF GAS IN DRIVEWAY UNDER CAR PRIOR TO FIRE. CAR HAD BEEN IDLING IN DRIVEWAY FOR ABOUT 10 TO 15 MIN. BEFORE DRIVING THE KIDS TO THE BUS STOP. WIFE AND KIDS WERE IN CAR WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND HAD SMELLED SOMETHING LIKE FUEL. FIRST BUS HAD PICKED UP 2 KIDS LEFT THEN WIFE SAW SMOKE HEARD NOISE SAW FLAMES FROM UNDER HOOD AND GOT OTHER CHILDREN OUT OF CAR JUST BEFORE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WAS STARTING TO BURN. CAR WAS TOTALLY BURNED THROUGH OUT. REPORTED INCIDENT TO CHRYSLER DUE TO A PREVIOUS RECALL THAT HAD BEEN PERFORMED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM ABOUT 3 TO 4 YEAR BEFORE INCIDENT. WAS TOLD DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO CAR (AFTER INSPECTION BY CHRYSLER'S INSPECTOR) THAT FIRE WAS OF UNDETERMINED CAUSE AND WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED. EVEN THOUGH PRIOR TO THEIR INSPECTION I (A MECHANIC OF 20+YEARS ) COULD NOT SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL SUPPLY LINES TO ENGINES FUEL RAIL. WOULD LIKE A FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS INCIDENT TO PREVENT POSSIBLE FUTURE INJURIES TO PEOPLE OR POSSIBLE LOOSE OF LIFE. *JB