NHTSA Complaint #10994070 — 2009 SMART FORTWO

HELLO. I SAW ON THE NEWS THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION ABOUT 2008/2009 SMART CARS. MINE CAUGHT COMPLETELY ON FIRE IN APRIL OF 2012 WHILE DRIVING. I DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO COMPLAIN TO OTHER THAN THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL I SAW THE NEWS. I BOUGHT MY SMART CAR IN DECEMBER OF 2009. WITH IN 9 MONTHS I STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. IT WOULD START TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING THE TURN BACK ON ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER. I TOOK IT IN 4 TIMES AND THEY COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WAS WAS WRONG WITH IT AND WOULD RETURN IT BACK. ON THE 4TH TIME I DID BRING UP THE LEMON LAW AND THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR A COUPLE WEEKS. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND MY CAR STARTED GOING ELECTRONICALLY HAYWIRE. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE GOING CRAZY AND THE DASHBOARD WAS TURNING OFF AND ON. I PULLED OVER ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE IMMEDIATELY. MY SHIFTER WAS STICK FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND ONCE I PUT IT ON PARK, I TOOK OUT THE KEYS. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON THE WIPERS STARTED GOING CRAZY AGAIN, THE DASHBOARD WENT BLANK, THE DOORS WERE LOCKING AND UNLOCKING AND THE HORN WAS GOING OFF. THERE WAS A WEIRD SMELL AND I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF BY THE INSIDE OF MY WINDSHIELD. I GOT SCARED AND IMMEDIATELY GO OUT ONCE THE LOCKS UNLOCKED. AS I OPENED THE PASSENGER DOOR TO GET MY PURSE, I NOTICED FLAMES BY THE PEDALS AND A BLACK BOX THAT MELTED THROUGH THE CAR. I CALLED 911 AS I POURED WATER FROM MY WATER BOTTLE. THAT DID NOT HELP. THE FRONT OF THE CAR BY THEN WAS ON FIRE. I GRABBED MY TWO BOXES FROM MY TRUNK AND WALKED THE THE EMERGENCY LANE AS FAR AS I COULD UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. I HAVE SAVED ALL THE TIMES I TOOK MY CAR TO GET CHECKED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THAT IS THE ONLY PLACE I TOOK MY CAR