NHTSA Complaint #10838433 — 2011 DODGE DURANGO

MY 2011 DODGE DURANGO CAUGHT FIRE. THE ROOF ABOVE THE PASSENGER VISOR BURN SIGNIFICANTLY. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE PASSENGER SAID SHE SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. BOTH OF US HAVE RETIRED FROM THE ELECTRONICS FIELD. NOT REALIZING THE SEVERITY OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, I PARKED THE CAR. WE WENT AWAY FROM THE CAR FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES. UPON RETURNING WE OPEN THE DOOR AND ENTERED THE CAR. THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE. WE COULD HEAR THE FIRE BURNING IN THE ROOF. WE BOTH JUMPED OUT. WE FLAGGED DOWN SOME PARKING ATTENDANTS. WE OPENED THE HOOD TO GET TO THE BATTERY OR FUSE BOX. I MONITORED THE LIGHT IN THE VANITY MIRRORS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS, WHILE THE ATTENDANTS WITH BOOK MANUAL IN HAND, PULLED FUSES UNTIL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THE FIRE SLOWED TO A STOP. ONE NOTE IN SPITE OF THE FIRE BURNING OUR HANDICAP STICKER ON THE ROOF SIDE, BLISTERING THE PAINT ON THE OUTSIDE ROOF, AND THE INTERIOR ROOF ON FIRE ON NO FUSES BLEW! MY EXPERIENCE IS TELLING ME THAT THE WIRES INVOLVED HAVE BEEN DRAWING TO MUCH CURRENT FOR MANY YEARS. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WIRES INVOLVED, CHANGED WITH HEAT AND TIME. FINALLY THE WIRES GOT TO RESISTIVE AND HEATED TO THE POINT OF IGNITION.