NHTSA Complaint #10103959 — 2000 SATURN S-SERIES WAGON

ON DECEMBER 14TH I LEFT WORK AT 4:00 PM (TEMP WAS 20 DEGREES F), DROVE 1/2 MILE, TURNED OFF IGNITION AND MADE A QUICK PURCHASE. STARTED THE CAR, DROVE ABOUT 1/2 MILE AND THE CAR BEGAN MISSING. I DROVE ANOTHER BLOCK, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WENT OFF, AND THE CAR MISSED AGAIN. I HEADED BACK TOWARDS MY WORKPLACE TO USE A TELEPHONE TO CALL MY SPOUSE TO PICK ME UP, BUT THE CAR COMPLETELY QUIT AFTER DRIVING A BLOCK OR TWO. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO WALK, BUT NOTICE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, THEN I HEARD A SPARKING, CRACKLING SOUND AND LOOKED UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND SAW A SMALL FIRE BURNING. I APPROACHED A RESIDENCE, THE OCCUPANTS HAD ALREADY OBSERVED THE SMOKE FROM THE CAR AND HAD BEGUN THE 911 CALL. THE FLAMES QUICKLY GREW AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY IN FLAMES AND BLACK SMOKE BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED.*AK