NHTSA Complaint #10057102 — 2000 DODGE CARAVAN

ON FEB. 8, 2004, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW (ALSO AN OWNER OF THE CAR) EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM STARTING THE CAR. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, THE CAR STARTED RUNNING BUT VERY ROUGHLY. IT WAS DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WHICH WAS ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY. ABOUT HALFWAY THERE, GOING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE, SMOKE CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW PULLED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. A FIRE ERUPTED AS SOON AS THE HOOD WAS OPENED. A MINUTE OR SO LATER, ANOTHER FIRE EXPLOSION OCCURRED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE ARRIVED AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED, THE DASHBOARD WAS BADLY BURNED AND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD HAD A BIG HOLE IN IT. BOTH THE FIREMAN AND THE POLICEMAN COMMENTED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THE BATTERY MIGHT BE INVOLVED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT BY THAT AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR A COPY OF THE FIRE REPORT. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DODGE DEALER HERE IN HAWAII AND HE MADE THE SAME REMARK ABOUT THE BATTERY. THE DODGE DEALER SAID THE JOB WAS TOO BIG FOR THEM TO HANDLE AND THEY WERE GOING TO CALL ANOTHER JOBBER TO LOOK AT IT. I NEED SOME ADVICE ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD DO NEXT. THIS VAN WAS CONVERTED FOR HANDICAP USE WITH A HYDRAULIC RAMP INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THE VAN IS USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR MY SISTER WHO IS TOTALLY WHEELCHAIR AND BED BOUND, HAVING SUFFERED FOUR STROKES ON BOTH SIDES OF HER BODY ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS NOT IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON WHAT I SHOULD DO TO DETERMINE HOW THE FIRE STARTED AND WHETHER OR NOT THE MANUFACTURER IS AT FAULT FOR THE DAMAGE TO THE VAN. WHO CAN CONDUCT A THOROUGH AND VALID INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT? THERE WAS NO PRIOR INDICATION OF ANY IMPENDING FAILURES. IN THIS DAY AND AGE, HOW CAN A CAR CATCH ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING? THE CAR MAY BE A TOTAL WRECK.