NHTSA Complaint #10845713 — 2012 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

ON THE FIRST OF MARCH, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE ABOUT TO START THEIR DAY IN THE USUAL WAY. SHE OPENED THE GARAGE DOOR AND USED HER KEY FOB TO REMOTE START OUR 2012 JEEP GC LIMITED ( AROUND 42K MILES) ( FACTORY INSTALLED REMOTE STARTER) SHE WALKED AWAY FOR LESS THAN 4 MINUTES AND RETURNED TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF JEEP. SHE CALLED FOR ME, AND PUSHED THE AUX BUTTON TO BE SURE THE VEHICLE WAS OFF. I CAME RUNNING AND DESPITE MY ATTEMPTS TO OPEN THE HOOD AND BEAT BACK WHAT QUICKLY ESCALATED INTO OPEN FLAMES I RETREATED TO ENSURE MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AND TO BE SURE THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WERE CALLED. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE SOME POTENTIAL FUEL FOR THE FIRE BY REMOVING OUR SECOND CAR FROM THE GARAGE (ALSO A CHRYSLER) AND SECURING THE DOOR BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND GARAGE. LUCK INTERVENED WHEN THE FLAMES DESTROYED THE GARAGE DOOR ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE GARAGE DOOR TO FALL AND HELP REMOVE SOME OXYGEN FROM THE FIRE. EVENTUALLY FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED AND WERE ABLE TO KNOCK DOWN THE FIRE WITH FOAM . LATER THE FIREMEN PUSHED THE JEEP INTO THE DRIVEWAY TO ENSURE IT WAS DOUSED. THOUGH THE REMOTE START MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHATEVER ARC SPARKED THE FIRE, IT'S MY BELIEF THAT ITS USE CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE CONDITIONS THAT CONFLAGRATED THE SITUATION. IF THE WIRING HARNESS IS OTHERWISE SUSPECT I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED CONSIDERING RECENT REVELATIONS ON RELATED MODELS. THE VEHICLE WAS JUST REMOVED FROM THE SITE TODAY 3/9/2016 TO COPART FACILITY, BY INSURANCE COMPANY FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE.