NHTSA Complaint #10300126 — 2008 DODGE NITRO

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 NITRO ON THE FREEWAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON - SOLID, NOT FLASHING. I MADE A COMMENT TO MY WIFE ABOUT TAKING IT IN THE NEXT DAY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER, THE CAR STALLED AND I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER GOT OUT AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. BY THE TIME TRAFFIC CLEARED ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR, THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR BECAME FULLY ENGULFED WITHIN MINUTES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT AND THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE FRONT TIRES EXPLODED, THE RIMS MELTED, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS FULLY BURNT. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO CHRYSLER WHO INVESTIGATED AND TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE ONLY MAINTENANCE I HAD PERFORMED WAS TO GET THE OIL CHANGED 3 WEEK PRIOR AT A QUICK-CHANGE TYPE COMPANY. THE CAR HAD 31,000 MILES ON IT. *TR