NHTSA Complaint #10086068 — 1999 AUDI A6

WHILE TRAVELING HOME ON THE ATLANTIC CITY EXPRESSWAY, MY WIFE AND I NOTICED A PECULIAR SMELL COMING FROM THE VENTS. AS THE ODOR GOT STRONGER, WE DECIDED TO PULL OVER AND CHECK UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. WHEN I LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, I SAW NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I HEARD MY WIFE EXITING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CABIN BEGAN TO FILL WITH SMOKE. UPON CLOSER REVIEW, I SAW A SMALL FLAME INSIDE THE DRIVERS SIDE VENT. WE WORKED FRANTICALLY TO PUT THE SMALL FLAME OUT HOWEVER, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THE FLAME WAS MUCH MORE INTENSE THAN WHAT WAS VISIBLE. SECONDS LATER, THE ENTIRE DASH WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE. DUE TO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, IT TOOK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 22 MINUTES TO REACH THE FIRE CONSEQUENTLY; THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED. AFTER SPENDING AN HOUR OR SO GIVING THE STATE POLICE THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED, WE FINALLY REALIZED THAT OUR CELL PHONE, HOUSE KEYS AND OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS WERE LOST IN THE FIRE. WE HAD TO WALK HOME- (3 MILES) AND WAIT FOR MY PARENTS TO BRING OUR SPARE KEY SO WE COULD GET INTO OUR HOUSE. IT TOOK US MORE THAN A WEEK TO GET ALL OF THE PAPERWORK SUBMITTED TO HAVE OUR DRIVERS LICENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, ETC. REPLACED. MY PERSONAL COMPUTER THAT HAD MORE THAN 100 SENSITIVE WORK-RELATED DOCUMENTS  (WORTH MORE THAN THE PC) WAS LOST. THESE DOCUMENTS ARE COMPLETELY UNRECOVERABLE AND I HAVENT BEGUN TO EVALUATE THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT WILL TAKE TO REPLICATE THEM.*AK