NHTSA Complaint #10347515 — 2004 NISSAN TITAN

MY 2004 NISSAN TITAN CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED TO THE GROUND ON 7/29/10 AT 4:30PM. IT ALL STARTED AS I WAS BACKING UP AND I NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW SMOKE AND INSPECTED IT CLOSER AND NOTICED THAT THE SMOKE WAS BLOOMING FROM AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT WHICH APPEARED TO BE THE COMPUTER. I TOOK SOME VIDEO OF IT AS PROOF OF WHAT WAS GOING ON NOT KNOWING THAT MY TRUCK WOULD BE ENGULFED IN FLAMES MINUTES LATER. THE VIDEO IS CLEAR THAT IT WAS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I TRIED TO STOP IT BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY BUT THAT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. LATER MY FIRE INSPECTOR SAID IT WAS NISSANS BCM THAT FAILED! HE WAS VERY HAPPY HAD THE VIDEO OTHERWISE HE WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY. HE SAID THE VIDEO IS REALLY CLEAR AND APPARENT WHAT HAPPENED. NISSAN NEVER RECALLED JUST SENT SERVICE BULLETINS. MY INSURANCE MAY COVER THE REMAINDER OF THE LOAN BUT THAT DOES NOT PUT ME ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN ON THIS MATTER AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO LET MY INSURANCE DEAL WITH IT, WHICH I EXPLAINED ABOVE HOW THAT DOES NOT WORK FOR ME. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS NISSANS FAULT AND THEY SHOULD HELP ME BUT THEY ARE NOT. APPARENTLY I NEED TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY THAT DEALS WITH FIRE AND I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE, WHICH I CAN NOT AFFORD. I TOLD NISSAN I HAD THE VIDEO BUT THEY DID NOT CARE. YOU WOULD THINK AFTER ALL THE TOYOTA INCIDENTS THAT THEY MAY HELP ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD THE VIDEO OF PROOF AND THEY DID NOT . I HAVE SENT THE VIDEO AND ALL PICTURES I HAVE TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY AS WELL BUT ALL THEY WILL PROBABLY GET IS THE MONEY THEY PAID FOR LOAN. SO MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS COVERED BUT I'M LEFT OUT TO DRY. PLEASE READ THIS PART. THE FIRE INSPECTOR FOR MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND AN OUTSIDE INDEPENDENT FIRE INSPECTOR HAVE CONCLUDED IT WAS THE BCM ( BODY CONTROL MODULE). NISSAN KNEW OF THE PROBLEM BUT JUST SENT OUT SERVICE LETTERS AND NOT RECALLS. MY INSURANCE WILL BE PURSUING NISSAN AS WELL ! *TR