NHTSA Complaint #10144525 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT

I AM THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF MY NIECE'S 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. ONE AFTERNOON I DROVE THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TO THE SUPERMARKET, AND PHARMACY. THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT WAS RUNNING FINE, ALL THE GAUGES WERE IN THE MIDDLE, NO SMOKE, NO SMELLS, NO PROBLEMS. . AFTER ARRIVING HOME I PARKED THE FORD 1998 EXPLORER SPORT IN MY DRIVEWAY, APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET FROM THE GARAGE DOOR, AND APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET FROM THE ENTRANCE TO MY HOUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SHUT OFF AND SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH NO PROBLEMS. DURING THE NEXT HOUR, I BEGIN TO HANG CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ON MY FRONT DOOR, AND I WAS IN & OUT OF THE HOUSE. THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT WAS STILL FINE IN THE DRIVEWAY. APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AFTER I FINISHED MY DECORATING, I BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING LIKE RUBBER BURNING. I CHECKED MY STOVE, AND ELECTRICAL OUTLETS, AND EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE FINE. I FIGURE THE BURNING SMELL WAS COMING FROM MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. THEY HAD WORKERS THERE DRILLING AND MAKING REPAIRS. SO I THEN CONTINUE TO DO MY CHORES. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER I WENT TO LOOK OUT MY FRONT DOOR, AND I SAW DARK SMOKE POURING OUT THE HOOD OF THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. I PANICKED, CLOSED THE DOOR, GRABBED THE PHONE, RAN OUT TO THE BACKYARD, AND CALL 911. I WAS TO AFRAID TO GO OUT THE FRONT DOOR, AND ALSO AFRAID TO STAY IN THE HOUSE, THINKING THE HOUSE AND GARAGE WOULD ALSO CATCH FIRE. THANK GOD, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED SWIFTLY, AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE VEHICLE ONLY, THE FIREMEN AT THE SCENE EXAMINE THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, AND DETERMINED THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD, THE CAUSE APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL. *JB