NHTSA Complaint #10147448 — 2000 DODGE STRATUS

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE EXITING THE INTERSTATE WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE REMAINED AT A NORMAL LEVEL THE SMOKE PERSISTED AND THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOME. ONCE PULLED OVER THE HOOD WAS OPENED AND FLAMES SHOT OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT CLOSED THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, BUT THE CLOSED HOOD ALREADY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS TAKEN, BUT DID NOT IDENTIFY A SOURCE OF IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE, BUT REPAIRED THE PARTS OF THE ENGINE THAT WERE DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. OVER A YEAR LATER, UNDER THE SAME DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE SEAM OF THE HOOD AND FENDER. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND A REPORT WAS FILED, BUT AGAIN THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE, BUT REPAIRED THE PARTS OF THE ENGINE THAT WERE DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE STARTED BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE AT A NORMAL SPEED, AND DISTRIBUTED A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK