NHTSA Complaint #10559724 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

SUNDAY 05 JAN 2014 I HAD RECENTLY PARKED MY CAR, TURNED IT OFF, AND WAS OUTSIDE OF MY VEHICLE (2001 FORD FOCUS) WHEN I BEGAN TO NOTICE SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS CONFUSED AT FIRST, AS THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE ANY PROBLEMS BEGAN. WITHIN A MATTER OF TWO MINUTES THE SMOKE HAD INCREASED, THICKENED, AND BEGAN TO SMELL. MY FRIEND WAS NEARBY AND HAD NOTICED THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. HE CAME OVER AND WE BOTH TOOK A COUPLE STEPS TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE CAR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. IMMEDIATELY FLAMES BURST UP FROM THE HOOD. AT THIS POINT WE INSTANTLY RAN FROM THE VEHICLE, DIALING 911. THE FLAMES GOT WORSE AS WE WAITED FROM A DISTANCE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ARRIVE. AT THIS POINT I WAS UNSURE AS TO WHETHER THE CAR WOULD COMPLETELY BLOW UP OR NOT, AS THE FLAMES BECAME WORSE WITH EVERY MINUTE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES. THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOW AND THEN PRY THE HOOD OPEN IN ORDER TO DO SO. AFTER THE FIRE WAS COMPLETELY OUT AND THE SCENE WAS SAFE I WAS ABLE TO TALK WITH THE FIREMEN. THEY SHOWED ME UNDER THE HOOD AND SAID THE FIRE SEEMED TO BE SOMETHING ELECTRICAL AND LOOKED AS IF IT HAD STARTED NEAR THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE UNDER THE HOOD (SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT). THEY ALSO EXPLAINED, AS I HAD ALREADY ASSUMED, THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSALVAGEABLE. *TR