NHTSA Complaint #10130434 — 1998 INFINITI I30

AFTER WENT THROUGH A DRIVE-THROUGH TO GET A SANDWICH, I NOTICED THE BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHT ON MY 1998 INFINITI I30 CAME ON. I DROVE TO A NEARBY GAS STATION AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR STARTED SMOKING SLIGHTLY. I CHECKED MY TEMPERATURE LIGHT, IT WAS NORMAL. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD, THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE THAT WAS SHOOTING STRAIGHT UP ABOUT 3-4 FEET OUT OF THE ALTERNATOR. AFTER APPROXIMATELY A MINUTE, THERE WAS A SMALL EXPLOSION THAT CAUSED COOLANT TO SPREAD ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THIS PUT OUT THE INITIAL FIRE. BY THIS TIME, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND INVESTIGATED. BY THE TIME THE FIREFIGHTER WALKED TO THE CAR, ANOTHER FIRE IN THE SAME PLACE STARTED UP. THE CAR HAD BEEN OFF THE WHOLE TIME (THROUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND FIRE). WHEN THE INSURANCE COMPANY GOT INVOLVED, WE TOWED THE CAR EVENTUALLY TO MY LOCAL INFINITI DEALERSHIP. DURING THIS TIME, I SAW TWO NHTSA RECALL NOTICES (02V171000 AND 99V129000) DEALING WITH ALTERNATOR SHORTS FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL OF INIFINTI. IN TALKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER, THEY INDICATED MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN BECAUSE MY VIN RANGE WASN'T IN THE ONES COVERED). AT THIS POINT, THEY KNOW IT WAS A SHORT IN THE ALTERNATOR, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING BEYOND THAT AND ARE NOT WILLING TO LOOK FURTHER. *NM