NHTSA Complaint #10861917 — 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE

I WAS ON A ROAD TRIP AND STOPPED FOR GAS, I WAS PULLING MY SMALL TRAVEL TRAILER AT THE TIME. WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND WHEN THE BACK HATCH WAS OPENED THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE SIDE PANEL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN THE BACK. THERE WAS A HIGHWAY PATROL RIGHT BY ME WHO RIPPED OFF THE PANELS AND GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME. IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. IT TOOK TEN DAYS FOR IT TO GET TOWED BACK TO MY HOME TOWN TO THE JEEP DEALERSHIP. THEY CALLED ME TODAY AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A LIGHTENING STORM WHERE I WAS AND IF IT WAS POSSIBLE I GOT HIT BY LIGHTENING, WHICH THERE WAS NOT. THEY HAVE SENT THE INFORMATION TO CHRYSLERJEEP AND ARE WAITING TO SEE HOW TO PROCEED. HE SAID THERE IS NOW NO POWER TO ANY PART OF THE CAR AND MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING TO POSSIBLY REPLACE THE ENTIRE BODY HARNESS AS THERE IS A COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE JEEP. I BOUGHT THIS JEEP BRAND NEW ABOUT 14 MONTHS AGO. MY DOG WAS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME AND HAD I LEFT TO GO INSIDE THE GAS STATION I AM SURE SHE WOULD HAVE DIED. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL FIRE IN MY PRACTICALLY NEW JEEP AND WORRY THAT EVEN A FIX IS GOING TO SOLVE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.