NHTSA Complaint #10343034 — 2005 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER

COMPLAINT: FIRE ERUPTING FROM 2005 RANGE ROVER HSE 2005 RANGE ROVER HSE, PURCHASED IN 2004-5 FROM SCOTTSDALE, AZ LAND ROVER. ON JUNE 1, 2010, WHILE VEHICLE OCCUPANT DRIVING TO WORK IN PHOENIX, AZ, FOLLOWING DASHBOARD MESSAGE APPEARED WITH THE ABBREVIATION, "TRANS FAILSAFE PROG." THE RANGE ROVER OWNERS HANDBOOK, PG. 79, STATES THAT THE ABOVE MESSAGE MEANS, "A MALFUNCTION HAS OCCURRED IN THE TRANSMISSION." AS TO "WHAT TO DO," THE HANDBOOK EXPLAINS, "DRIVE CAREFULLY AVOIDING EXCESSIVE REVS AND CONSULT YOUR RETAILER AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY." NOTHING IN THE MESSAGE OR THE HANDBOOK INDICATED THAT THIS SITUATION POSED A FIRE HAZARD AND A GRAVE AND IMMEDIATE DANGER TO THE CAR OR ITS OCCUPANTS. OCCUPANT PROMPTLY CALLED LAND ROVER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE LOCATED AT THE LAND ROVER DEALERSHIP AT SCOTTSDALE AND 101 IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ TO REPORT THE MESSAGE AND TO SAY THAT HE IMMEDIATELY WAS BRINGING THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. OCCUPANT DROVE ABOUT 1-2 MILES THEN PULLED CAR OVER AFTER CAR WOULD NOT PROCEED FURTHER. SMOKE AROSE FROM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT HOOD. OCCUPANT CALLED TRIPLE A, THEN SAW SPARKS FALLING BELOW THE HOOD TO THE GROUND. 911 WAS IMMEDIATELY CALLED. THEN FLAMES EMERGED FROM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT HOOD, AND SPREAD TO CONSUME SOME 90% OF THE CAR BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED TO PUT OUT FIRE. THE CAR IS TOTALED, WITH INSURANCE OFFERING TO PAY WHAT IT DEEMS IS ITS PRESENT VALUE, ROUGHLY $30,000. *TR