NHTSA Complaint #10074450 — 2000 DODGE DURANGO

I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND WAITED FOR THE OTHER VEHICLE TO GO BY. AS THEY PASSED ME, I MADE A RIGHT TURN AND HEADED SOUTH IN THE SAME DIRECTION. WITHIN 30 FT AFTER I TOOK OFF FROM THE STOP SIGN, I GLANCED TO THE LEFT AND WHEN I LOOKED FORWARD THE VEHICLE IN FRONT ME HAD STOPPED. I TURNED MY WHEELS TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK THE OTHER VEHICLE. MY DRIVER FRONT CORNER STRUCK HIS REAR RIGHT CORNER. I WAS ONLY GOING 20 MPH BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL AND ALL THE CHILDREN WERE PRESENT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET. MY VEHICLE'S FRONT DRIVER SIDE WAS PUSHED IN AND THEN IT STARTED ON FIRE. WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I CALLED DAIMLERCHRYSLER AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAS HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WILL INVESTIGATE AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND. CHRYSLER WENT INTO GREAT DETAIL WHY THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT AS FAR AS FIRE GOES I WAS TOLD " IT APPEARS THE IMPACT CAUSED A SHORT, WHICH STARTED THE FIRE". NO OTHER EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN AT ALL. FROM THE STOP SIGN TO WHERE ACCIDENT HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 220 FT. I DON'T THINK THAT A $34,000 VEHICLE SHOULD BE LOST AT 20MPH IMPACT. I WAS GIVEN CHRYSLER FILE #[XXX]. VEHICLE: 2000 DODGE DURANGO, VIN [XXX] ST. FRANCIS, WI POLICE DEPARTMENT & ST. FRANCIS FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME OUT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. *LA UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)