NHTSA Complaint #10322780 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

VEHICLE FIRE ON 2005 FORD ESCAPE (VIN [XXX]) ON 3/23/2010, I NOTICED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY (WHEN DRIVING) BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. (LIKE A SPARK PLUG HAD FAILED). WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A GAS STATION AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT (FOR BROKEN BELTS AND THE LIKE) NO OBVIOUS ISSUE WAS OBSERVED. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN, I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. IMMEDIATELY I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND CONTACTED A SERVICE GARAGE. I WAS ON MY WAY TO TAKE THE VEHICLE INTO SERVICE WHEN I NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL SMELL. I PULLED INTO THE NEXT GAS STATION, OPENED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED A SMALL FIRE LOCATED AT THE #1 CYLINDER COIL PACK. I USED THE GAS STATION FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. CAR WAS TOWED THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE GARAGE. CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN NO MORE THAN 10 MILES AFTER FIRST SIGN OF FAILURE. FIRE WAS SMALL ENOUGH TO NOT INVOLVE POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENTS, SO NO FIRE OR POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OCCURRED OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. GARAGE SAID THAT IF I HAD LIMITED THE DAMAGE BY EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE WHEN I DID. GARAGE REPLACED COIL PACK, WIRE PIGTAIL (MELTED), AND INTAKE MANIFOLD (ALSO MELTED BY FIRE). OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. CAR WAS REPAIRED BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AFTER 50 MILES. CARE WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF AND WILL BE TOWED BACK TO GARAGE. FAILURE CODE IS P0351. (SAME COIL THAT WAS REPLACED IS SHOWING BAD AGAIN) CAR HAD APPROX 117,000 MILES ON IT WHEN FIRE TOOK PLACE. NO OTHER MAJOR SERVICE EVENTS IN ITS LIFETIME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR