NHTSA Complaint #11011565 — 2008 SMART FORTWO

ON JULY 28 2017 I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR "DIED". LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR THAT WAS FOLLOWING ME ALSO PULLED OVER AND THE MAN WAS YELLING THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I HAD NO PREVIOUS WARNING. NO SMELL, NO SOUNDS, NO ALARMS--NOTHING OTHER THAN MY CAR DIED WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD GOTTEN OUT TO SEE WHAT I COULD OF THE SITUATION (NOT MECHANICALLY INCLINED), SAW SMOKE AND SMALL FLAMES SO WENT TO GET KEYS AND CELL PNONE OUT OF CAR AND 2 OTHER PEOPLE WERE PARKED IN FRONT OF ME, HAVING PASSED BY ME, AND WERE YELLING "GET OUT OF THE CAR IT IS ON FIRE" BY NOW, ONLY A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE REAR OF MY CAR WAS ENTIRELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE SMOKE INSIDE THE CAR NOW WAS THICK, GRAYISH IN COLOR, WHILE THE EXTERIOR SEEMED TO ME MELTING BEFORE MY EYES! THE ENTIRE CAR WAS DESTROYED. ALL THAT IS LEFT IS THE BASIC METAL FRAME. SEVERAL BYSTANDERS TOOK VIDEO AND PICTURES OF THIS AS IT WAS HORRIBLE AND FAST. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO ALERT ME THERE WAS A PROBLEM INITIALLY. IF THE CAR HADN'T DIED, AS FAST AS THIS HAPPENED, I WOULD BE DEAD I AM SURE. AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS CAR. I HAD LESS THAN 30000 ORIGINAL MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND ALL MANDATORY UPKEEP WAS PERFORMED (OIL CHANGES ETC) THERE ARE CHP FILES IM SURE, I HAVE A CLAIM IN WITH MY INSURANCE (USAA) AND AS I SAID THERE IS VIDEO DOCUMENTATION OF THE FIRE. AT THIS POINT MY CAR, AND VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING IN IT IS CHARCOAL. THE CAR IS NOT SALVAGEABLE. I WAS A SHOCKED BEYOND BELIEF THAT SUCH A THING COULD HAPPEN TO A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE AND I AM STILL AFRAID TO THINK OF DRIVING ALONE.