NHTSA Complaint #10810212 — 2008 MAZDA MAZDA6

DECEMBER 14, 2015 AROUND 6:40PM I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON HIGHWAY 275E AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH APPROACHING THE 71N EXIT RAMP . CAR AND DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER HAD BEEN RUNNING ABOUT 8 - 10 MINUTES. I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL. I WAS WEARING JEANS. WHEN LOOKING AROUND TO FIGURE OUT WHERE SMELL WAS COMING FROM, MY LEFT LEG CAME IN CONTACT WITH SEAT, I FELT A "BITE" SENSATION ON THE BACK OF MY LEG - IMMEDIATELY I THOUGHT PERHAPS MY SEAT WAS WAS ON FIRE. I DIDN'T SEE ANY ACTUALLY FLAMES, SO I TURNED OFF SEAT HEATER, AND OPENED THE WINDOWS - HOPING TO COOL OFF THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR TO PREVENT ANY SMOLDERING IN THE SEAT TO ADVANCE TO A FIRE (SOUNDS A STUPID NOW, BUT AT THE TIME IT SEEMED TO MAKE SENSE). CONTINUE DRIVING WITH ONE HAND, WINDOWS DOWN, AND FANNING SEAT WITH THE OTHER. WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN, THE SMOKE/BURNING SMELL DISSIPATED. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME (ABOUT ANOTHER 10-15 MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE INITIAL OCCURRENCE), THE SEAT HAD COOLED. I OBSERVED A BURN SPOT ON DRIVER'S SEAT WHERE I FELT THE "BITE" ON THE BACK OF MY LEG. I ALSO THOUGHT MY JEANS WERE BURNT; HOWEVER, THAT TURNED OUT TO BE TRANSFER FROM THE BURNT MATERIAL FROM THE SEAT - I WAS ABLE TO SCRATCH MOST OF IT OFF WITH FINGERNAIL. ALSO, MY SKIN WAS NOT INJURED. I WILL BE CONTACTING MY LOCAL MAZDA DEALERSHIP TODAY.