NHTSA Complaint #10268715 — 2000 DODGE DURANGO

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 DODGE DURANGO. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN DRIVING ROUGHLY AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE BRAKES STIFFENED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT EASED OFF THE BRAKES, BUT THEY FAILED COMPLETELY. MORE SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER, BUT LOST CONTROL. SHE HEARD TWO SNAPPING NOISES UNDER THE HOOD. SHE APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES IN THE ENGINE. THEY CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE ENGINE FIRE SPREAD TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. PRIOR TO THE FIRE, REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE ENGINE BECAUSE IT WOULD STALL AND OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE THE DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2008. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 124,000.