NHTSA Complaint #10461403 — 2011 SUBARU FORESTER

A VEHICLE 2 CARS IN FRONT OF ME DROPPED A LOAD OF FREIGHT ON THE FREEWAY--POSSIBLE ONE LANE OVER. THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES, AND ONE MAY HAVE SWERVED INTO MY LANE. I WAS ABLE TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND SLOW TO ABOUT 15-20 MILES PER HOUR BEFORE I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WITHIN 20 SECONDS OF HITTING THAT CAR, FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR. WITHIN 2 MINUTES MY CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND THE PASSENGER CABIN WAS FULLY INVOLVED. THIS WAS AN ALMOST BRAND-NEW CAR WITH NO AFTERMARKET PARTS, AND LITTLE FRONT-END DAMAGE. IT SEEMS SUSPICIOUS THAT SUCH AN ACCIDENT WOULD CAUSE SUCH AN INTENSE AND FAST-SPREADING FIRE. HAD CHILDREN BEEN RESTRAINED IN SAFETY SEATS, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO GET THEM OUT OF THE CAR. *TR