NHTSA Complaint #10379680 — 2002 AUDI A4

ON DECEMBER 3RD, 2010, I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-405S HEADING FROM LONG BEACH, CA TO SAN DIEGO, CA. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST ALL ACCELERATION IN MY CAR. I STILL HAD ELECTRICAL POWER (IE, INDICATORS STILL WORKED, MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION WORKED AND INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS WORKED). I PULLED STRAIGHT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AT WHICH POINT I NOTICED THAT THE HOOD OF MY CAR APPEARED TO BE MELTING AND THAT SMOKE WAS RISING OUT OF THE ENGINE. I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CALL 911. TWO GRACIOUS STRANGERS ATTEMPTED WITH TWO SEPARATE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS TO PUT OUT THE FIRE BUT WERE UNABLE TO. THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ENTIRELY CONSUMED BY FLAMES WITHIN 2-3 MINUTES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMTS ARRIVED, THE ENTIRE CAR WAS AFLAME AND WAS NO LONGER SALVAGEABLE. IT ONLY TOOK ABOUT 5 MINUTES FOR THE ENTIRE CAR TO GO UP IN FLAMES. ALL THAT REMAINED ONCE THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WAS THE REAR-HATCHBACK DOOR. EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY MELTED AND BURNED. THE STATE TROOPER WHO WAS AT THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT SAID THAT THE CAR WAS SO BADLY BURNT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HARD TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE CAR AFTER THE FIRE AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE THEM IF NEEDED. THE FIRE WAS SO FAST, HOT AND QUICK THAT IT WAS ONLY 30 MINUTES FROM WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD TO PULL OVER, TO THE END OF THE ENTIRE ORDEAL. *TR