NHTSA Complaint #10689602 — 1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

ON A TRIP FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA I WAS SOUTH BOUND ON HWY 15 WHEN I BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE AND APPLIED MY BRAKES. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AS SMOKE ROLLED OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR. I TRIED TO DOWN SHIFT INTO LOW AS MY CAR WAS IN FLAMES AND SMOKE ENGULFED THE HOOD. I ENTERED THE ON RAMP FOR HWY 460 BYPASS EAST BOUND WHEN MY TRANSMISSION CAUGHT A LOWER GEAR, MY CAR WAS STILL MOVING WHEN I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND JAMMED THE CAR INTO PARK AND EXITED MY JEEP. AFTER I RAN (APPROX. 50 YARDS) I LOOKED BACK ANS NOTICED THERE WERE DROPLETS OF FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR AND THE CAR BLEW UP SENDING FLAMES UP 25 TO 30 FEET UP INTO THE AIR. THE 911 DISPATCHER ADVISED ME TO GET AWAY AS THE FIRE AND SAFETY PEOPLE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. EARLIER THAT DAY WHEN FILLING UP MY CAR I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE BUT SINCE I WAS IN A SHEETZ STATION I SHRUGGED IT OFF. I HAD MY TRAILER HITCH ON THE CAR AND REMOVED IT AT THE SALVAGE YARD. I CONTACTED SERVICE AT THE LOCAL JEEP DEALER BUT THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY RECALLS. TODAY I RECEIVED THE NHTSA RECALL NOTICE STATING THE OBVIOUS. ALTHOUGH QUICK THINKING AND SOME DEVINE INTERVENTION SPARED ME......... SOME LADY WITH HER KIDS IN PASSENGER SEATS MIGHT NOT BE AS FORTUNATE. FINALLY, I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT I CALLED THE NUMBER YOU PROVIDED AND [XXX] ASSISTED ME IN PROVIDING ME WITH 800 853-1403. I CALLED 5 TIMES WITH NOTHING BUT A RECORDING AFTER WAITING 45 MINUTES . PLEASE TELL CHRYSLER I WANT ANOTHER JEEP 98 WITH A GOOD HITCH OR I WILL BE MEETING THEM IN COURT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR