NHTSA Complaint #10162882 — 1993 LAND ROVER DEFENDER

WHILE DRIVING MY 1993 LAND ROVER NAS DEFENDER 110 TO AN APPOINTMENT, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT COMPLETELY FILLED UP WITH SMOKE MAKING VISIBILITY POSSIBLE ONLY OUT THE OPEN DRIVER'S WINDOW. UPON OPENING THE HOOD, FLAMES POURED OUT. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ABLAZE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, DESPITE THE IGNITION HAVING BEEN SHUT OFF AND THE KEY HAVING BEEN REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WAS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THE FIRE WAS BURNING THE AC EQUIPMENT AND ENCLOSURE, VEHICLE WIRING AND HOOD, FENDERS, ETC. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED DESTROYED WIRING HARNESSES, THE ENGINE, THE ENTIRE AC UNIT, HOOD AND VARIOUS OTHER BODY PARTS, RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS. SOME PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS A PIN HOLE LEAK IN ONE OF THE OIL COOLER LINES. THE LEAK SPRAYS A FINE MIST OF HOT ENGINE OIL DIRECTLY ON THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE RESULT IS AN OIL-FUELED ENGINE FIRE. NOT BEING ABLE TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF KEEPS OIL SPRAYING ON THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, CONTINUING THE FIRE. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT A LARGE NUMBER OF DEFENDER 110'S HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. WHEN THE LINES RUPTURE, THE EFFECT IS SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC IS NO WARNING. LAND ROVER OFFERS NO RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE FOR CHECKING OR REPLACING THESE LINES. IN FACT, LAND ROVER WILL NOT DISCUSS THE ISSUE SAYING THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. LAND ROVER'S ONLY ASSISTANCE WAS TO POINT ME TO A THIRD-PARTY THAT SELLS LAND ROVER PARTS. THE SAME CATASTROPHIC PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH IN LESSER NUMBERS, HAS OCCURRED ON DEFENDER 90'S AS WELL. LAND ROVER DISCOVERY'S, MANUFACTURED IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS, ALSO UTILIZE THE SAME ENGINE. AS THE VEHICLES AGE, AND WITHOUT ANY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR CHECKING/REPLACING THESE LINES, COULD IT BE ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THESE FIRES BECOME MUCH MORE COMMON? CONDITIONS: SUNNY, WARM SUMMER DAY; AC OFF; DRIVER'S WINDOW OPEN; RADIO ON; NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *NM