NHTSA Complaint #10138490 — 1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR (1999 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE) AND IT INITIALLY WOULDN'T START. THERE WAS JUST A CLICKING NOISE FROM THE STARTER BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. I TRIED IT A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND IT FINALLY STARTED. BUT THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL RATTLING NOISE. I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND THE ENGINE STOPPED BUT SOME PART ON THE CAR KEPT RUNNING. I HAD MY FIANCE LOOK AT IT - HE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON EITHER. IT DROVE OK AROUND THE BLOCK BUT IT SOUNDED HORRIBLE. HE COULDN'T GET IT TO TURN OFF COMPLETELY EITHER. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. MY FIANCE COULD SEE IT WAS IN THE AREA OF THE STARTER. INITIALLY, IF THE CAR WAS LEFT IDLING, THE SMOKE LESSENED BUT IF THE IGNITION WAS SHUT OFF THE SMOKE GOT WORSE. SO WE LEFT IT IDLING WHILE WE LOOKED FOR POSSIBLE WAYS TO SHUT IT OFF COMPLETELY. AFTER A FEW MORE MINUTES, THE SMOKE BEGAN AGAIN AND THERE WERE FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD AROUND THE STARTER. I CALLED 911 TO GET THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE WHILE MY FIANCE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AFTER WE WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH THE EXTINGUISHER AND THEY HELPED US DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE IN A SAFE MANNER SO THAT EVERYTHING SHUT OFF. THE FIREMAN SUGGESTED WE CHECK FOR POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VANS LIKE OURS AND TO FILE A COMPLAINT REGARDING OUR EXPERIENCE. THEY TOOK DOWN MY INFORMATION AND FILED A REPORT FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO THE FIRE. WE REPLACED THE STARTER AND CHECKED ALL THE CONNECTIONS FOR FIRE DAMAGE. THE OLD STARTER WAS TAKEN BY THE AUTO PARTS STORE SO IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE. THE MECHANIC AT THE STORE SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SOLENOID ON THE STARTER WAS STUCK IN THE "ON" MODE AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE ODD NOISE AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. SINCE THEN, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE RUNNING JUST FINE. *JB