NHTSA Complaint #10181895 — 2006 VOLVO V70

I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION AN INCIDENT REGARDING A CAR FIRE, AND RESULTING TOTAL LOSS OF MY LEASED 2006 VOLVO V70. I LEASED THE CAR ON JANUARY 20, 2006. ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, JANUARY 13, 2007, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY TWO YOUNG GRANDSONS. WE WERE JUST STARTING TO HEAD SOUTH ON THE CHARTER OAK BRIDGE WHEN I LOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR TO A STOP ON THE EAST HARTFORD, CT SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. ONE OF MY GRANDSONS SHOUTED "I SEE SMOKE" AND SURE ENOUGH SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. I TOLD THE BOYS, WHO WERE BOTH IN THE BACK SEAT, THAT WE HAD TO GET OUT NOW. I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS AND I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE CAR STOPPED. WE ALL GOT OUT AND STARTED WALKING AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH NOW HAD HEAVY BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF IT AND FLAMES SHOOTING UP FROM THE FRONT END. A MAN STOPPED AND TOLD US TO GET FURTHER AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH WE DID. 911 WAS CALLED AND IN A VERY SHORT TIME THE CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE AND EAST HARTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE ON THE SCENE. THE CAR WAS LEASED NEW AND IT HAD UNDER 14,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE ONLY SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE WAS THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT 7,500 MILES PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT 15,000 MILES. MY INSURANCE COMPANY ADVISED IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS, AND ALSO ADVISED THAT THEIR "CAUSE AND ORIGIN SPECIALIST" ADVISED THEM THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A SHORT-OUT IN THE POWER MODULATOR. I WOULDN'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE, AND I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THAT FIRE BUT OTHERS MIGHT NOT. *NM