NHTSA Complaint #10938443 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

ON DECEMBER 23RD, 2016 I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK AROUND 6:00 PM. MY CAR WAS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER EDITION. I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED ONTO MY ROAD WHEN I BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE, SO, I PULLED OFF INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT BESIDE A WALKING TRAIL. I COULD TELL THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, BUT, IT TOOK ME QUITE A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD - BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO BE WRONG THERE. THEN, I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR AND THE SMOKE KEPT GETTING HEAVIER. I BEGAN FEELING AROUND FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS HOT. I CHECKED THE DASH, THE VENTS, THE STEERING WHEEL, THE SEATS - ALMOST EVERYTHING BEFORE I CHECKED THE CENTER COMPUTER CONSOLE. IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CAR - DIRECTLY UNDER THE RADIO - THERE IS A COMPUTER MODULE THAT DISPLAYS THE GAS MILEAGE, OIL STATUS, AND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR. THE MODULE HAD RECENTLY STARTED DISPLAYING A "CHECK HEADLAMPS" MESSAGE. WELL - I HAD DONE SO AND THEY WERE WORKING FINE - SO I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF IT. TURNS OUT THAT THE FIRE HAD STARTED UNDER THE CENTER COMPUTER MODULE. I GUESS THAT THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BLOWN A FUSE BUT INSTEAD - STARTED A FIRE. I TRIED TO RIP THE COVER AND THE CONSOLE UP - BUT IT WAS SCREWED DOWN AND I HAD NO LUCK. AT THAT POINT, THE FLAMES STARTED TO SPREAD VERY QUICKLY AND THE ENTIRE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. I CALLED 911 AND GOT AS FAR AWAY AS I COULD WITH MY BELONGINGS. THE FIRE TRUCK AND FIRE FIGHTERS CAME WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OR SO AND PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE IT REACHED THE GAS TANK. THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE CAR REMAINED UNTOUCHED, HOWEVER, THE INTERIOR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE SEATS HAD BURNT OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY GONE. I'M STILL IN MY TEENAGE YEARS - SO I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION PROPERLY. I AM JUST GLAD I AM ALIVE AND THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN TIME.