NHTSA Complaint #10156471 — 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF MY CAR. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SERVICE ROAD TO THE MAJOR HIGHWAY I WAS ABOUT TO GET ON. UPON GETTING OUT OF MY CAR AND OPENING THE HOOD I WAS FACED WITH FLAMES. CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF PASSERS-BY, MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO TRY TO PUT OUT THIS FIRE. I RAN TO MY TRUNK, WHERE I ALWAYS KEEP A CASE OF BOTTLED WATER, AND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 8 WATER BOTTLES. I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. I AM CERTAIN THAT, HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL SAFELY OFF THE ROAD OR DID NOT HAVE THE CLEAR MIND TO TRY TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE, THE CAR WOULD'VE BEEN ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND TOTALED CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO ME AND POTENTIALLY THOSE CLOSE TO THE INCIDENT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. I AM TOLD THAT THERE IS "SEVERE DAMAGE" BUT DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THE DETAILS YET. *NM