NHTSA Complaint #10156912 — 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY TO WORK, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. THE FIRE WAS PRECEDED BY A LOUD POPPING SOUND, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY THE LOSS OF BRAKES/POWER STEERING, ETC. I STRUGGLED TO STEER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD, COASTING TO A STOP. MEANWHILE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FIRECRACKER-LIKE "POP," SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR INTO THE VEHICLE FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD, AS WELL AS THROUGH THE VENTS ON THE TOP OF THE DASH. HEAVY SMOKE ALSO BEGAN TO POUR OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. AS I FINALLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, A MOTORIST STOPPED AND HOLLERED TO ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AS, HE SAID, THERE WERE FLAMES VISIBLE UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I EXITED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY, AND WITHIN 3-5 MINUTES IT WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I DIALED 911 IMMEDIATELY, AND EVEN THOUGH THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITHIN 1.5 MILES OF THE LOCAL FIRE STATION, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES BY THE TIME THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED. A PENNSYLVANIA STATE TROOPER ARRIVED WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF THE ONSET OF THE EPISODE, MOMENTS AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. A TRAFFIC REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE STATE TROOPER. *JB