NHTSA Complaint #10129963 — 1998 CHRYSLER CIRRUS

DT: ON JULY 3 THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HIRED AN INVESTIGATOR AND THEY FOUND IT STARTED ON THE LOCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE BOTH CALLED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN IN USE FOR FOUR HOURS. THE FIRE ORIGINATED ON THE UPPER FRONT OF THE LEFT DOOR TRIM PANEL ADJACENT TO THE DASH. THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT THE LOCATION OF THE POWER MIRROR AND LOCK SWITCHES ON THE UPPER FRONT OF THE DOOR TRIM PANEL. IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSED HIGH RESISTANCE HEATING IN ONE OF THE SWITCHES. THE EXACT SWITCH THAT CAUSED THE OVERHEATING COULD NOT BE DETERMINED BECAUSE OF THE FIRE DAMAGE. *JB THE FOLLOWING ARE INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED BEFORE THE FIRE: THE VEHICLE WOULD TAKE UP TO TEN MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD CATCH. THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER AT TIMES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SOLENOID WHICH MAY HAVE NOT OF CURED THE PROBLEM. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE SOLENOID REPLACEMENT, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE DEALER PLACED A NEW DISTRIBUTOR IN THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE WIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED. *SC