NHTSA Complaint #10091286 — 2002 NISSAN SENTRA

I WAS DRIVING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE AT ABOUT 65 MPH IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL, BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO A FACTORY I DROVE BY. MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS PEDAL, AND ALL AT ONCE MY CAR WAS POWERING DOWN, AND THE SPEDOMETER WAS DROPPING AT A RAPID SPEED, DESPITE MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. THEN, THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, THE ENGINE LIGHT, AND I CRUISED MY CAR OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. THANKFULLY, NO CARS WERE BEHIND ME TO REAR-END MY VEHICLE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PUT MY HAZARDS ON, BUT EVERYTHING POWERED OFF. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND RAN FAR AWAY FROM THE CAR, NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WOULD DO. I CALLED 911, AND PATRONS STOPPED TO ASSIST ME BEFORE THE POLICE AND FIREMEN ARRIVED. BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED, THERE WERE FLAMES BOTH UNDER THE HOOD AND UNDER THE CAR, AND LOTS OF BLACK SMOKE, WHICH WAS MAKING ITS WAY OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, HARBORING OTHER DRIVERS' VIEWS. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AFTER MUCH FORCE, AND I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE ITEMS OUT OF THE TRUNK AND BACK SEAT ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. MY CAR WAS TOWED AWAY TO AN AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY.*AK