NHTSA Complaint #10957799 — 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA

I DROVE MY CAR ON FEBRUARY 28 FROM MY GARAGE IN MY HOUSE IN BOLTON, MA TO LEXINGTON MA AT 9 AM. UPON STARTING, I NOTICED A SLIGHT STRANGE SMELL. IT WAS A BIT LIKE OIL OR MAYBE CHEMICAL SMELLS BUT I AM NOT SURE AS I HAD NOT SMELLED THIS BEFORE. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS AS I DROVE TO CLEAR IT AND KEPT AN EYE ON THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, WHICH WAS NORMAL. AFTER 5 MINS, THE SMELL CLEARED, THE HEAT TEMP WAS NORMAL AND I DROVE FOR ABOUT 40 MINS WHILE TALKING ON MY BLUETOOTH. I PARKED IN FRONT OF GRACE CHAPEL IN LEXINGTON ON THE STREET AND AS I PULLED TO A STOP TO PARK ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH, I NOTICED SOME SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE CAR. WITHIN MOMENTS THERE WERE FLAMES AND I CALLED 911 AS I GOT OUT. I HAD ONLY TIME TO GET MY PURSE, MY BAG AND THE FOOD IN THE TRUNK I WAS BRINGING FOR THE PANTRY AND MOVED AWAY. WITHIN 3 MINUTES, IT WAS ENGULFED ABOUT 30% UP TO THE WINDSHIELD AS THE FIRST POLICE ARRIVED. HE MOVED THE CAR PARKED RIGHT IN FRONT OF MINE, THANK GOD. TWO MINUTES LATER FIREMEN CAME AND ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER THEY HAD WATER ON THE CAR BUT IT WAS FULLY ENGULFED. THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE DAMAGE TO ONLY AFFECT TWO OTHER CARS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT NEXT TO THE STREET ACROSS FROM MY CAR, SEPARATED BY A SIDEWALK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED BY US. NO ACCIDENTS. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. ALL RECALLS FOLLOWED. I DRIVE NORMALLY. OIL CHANGES ARE DONE REGULARLY. NO MECHANICAL WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON THE CAR. THERE ARE RECALLS ON THE V6 2013 ALTIMAS FOR POSSIBLE FIRE ISSUES. MINE IS A V4. HERE'S ONE WEBSITE BUT IF YOU GOOGLE 2013 ALTIMA FIRES, YOU WILL FIND OTHERS. HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVE-FLEET.COM/NEWS/STORY/2015/10/NISSAN-EXPANDS-2016-MAXIMA-RECALL.ASPX HAD I BEEN TRAPPED, I MAY HAVE DIED BEFORE THEY GOT ME OUT. PLEASE PROTECT OTHERS FROM THIS SCARY TRAGEDY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR