NHTSA Complaint #10464881 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

I WAS DRIVING UPHILL ON A ONE-WAY STREET IN DOWNTOWN WHEN I SAW AND HEARD THE SPARKS ABOUT 1 MINUTE APART FROM EACH OTHER ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE BETWEEN THE CRACK OF THE HOOD, THE CAR LOST POWER AND TURNED OFF. I STARTED IT AGAIN, AND IT ONLY MOVED ABOUT TWO FEET AND TURNED OFF. THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACK, AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. AN UNKNOWN DRIVER WHO WAS IN FRONT OF US WAS MERGING TO PARK TO THE RIGHT TOLD US TO GET OFF BECAUSE THE CAR WAS ON FIRE, NEXT THE SMOKE WAS VISIBLE. IT BEGAN TO SMELL LIKE BURNED PLASTIC, AND THEN WE SAW THE THICK GREY SMOKE COMING THROUGH THE CRACK OF THE HOOD. I PULLED THE HAND EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR FROM ROLLING BACK DOWN ANY FURTHER. I OPENED THE HOOD WE ALL GOT OUT OF THE CAR. I WENT BACK INSIDE THE CAR TO UNHOOKED THE HARNESS OFF MY DOG. I WAS SO SCARED THAT I COULDN'T RELEASE MY DOG, AND MY SON'S GIRLFRIEND HELPED ME, AND WE GOT MY DOG OUT. MY SON, HIS GIRLFRIEND AND I GOT THE SUPER-SIZE LARGE DRINK WE JUST BOUGHT AT MCDONALD'S AND DUMPED ON THE FIRE WITH THE HELP OF THE UNKNOWN MAN WHO GOT A BUCKET OF SOME LIQUID POSSIBLY WATER FROM THE HOTEL NEXT TO US, AND THE FIRE WAS OUT. I WAS SO TERRIFYING OF HOW RAPID MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AND HOW FAST EVERYTHING HAPPENING. MY CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED BY TOYOTA REGULARLY, AND THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT THERE IS NO KNOWN REASON WHY THE FIRE STARTED. TOYOTA HAS REPLACED THE DEFECTED COMPUTER TWICE, THE TRANSMISSION ONCE, I HAD TWO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE PAST, AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN A CAR WITH SO MANY MANUFACTURERS DEFECTIVE PARTS. UNEXPLAINABLE FIRE, IS THE RESPONSE I GOT FROM THE INSURANCE AND REPAIR SHOP WHICH DOES NOT MAKE ME FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE A CAR THAT COULD CAUGHT FIRE AT ANY TIME.