NHTSA Complaint #10760621 — 2004 JEEP LIBERTY

ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015, I WAS ON MY WAY TO A WORKSHOP FOR MY JOB ON ROUTE 73 IN BERLIN, NEW JERSEY. I HAD STOPPED AT A LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I PROCEEDED TO GO. THE CAR STALLED OUT ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD BLINKED ON AND OFF AND THE CAR SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. THEN WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SO AS I WAS SITTING CONTEMPLATING WHAT TO DO NEXT. I LOOKED UP AND THE DRIVER IN THE CAR NEXT TO ME STARTED YELLING THAT THERE WAS FIRE UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE CAR AND CROSSED THE STREET ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. WHEN I REACHED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. PITCH BLACK SMOKE ALONG WITH RED FLAMES BILLOWED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFIRE RESCUE TRUCK ARRIVE AND IMMEDIATELY USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO DOUSE THE FIRE. THEN, THE FIRE TRUCKS AND POLICE CAME TO FOLLOW UP. THE FIREMAN LIFT THE HOOD UP AND ALLOWED ME TO VIEW THE DAMAGE. THE BATTERY ALONG WITH OTHER ITEMS ON THE ENGINE WAS MELTED LIKE CANDLE WAX. THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY, HOWEVER AS THE CAR WAS PLACED ON THE FLATBED OF THE TRUCK, MY TRUCK STARTED SMOKING AND FLAMES WERE SHOOTING FROM UNDER THE CAR. CAR HAS BEEN DECLARED TOTALED. THAT WAS A VERY SAD DAY FOR ME.