NHTSA Complaint #11063835 — 2015 RAM 3500

MY DODGE RAM TRUCK WAS THE SUBJECT OF THREE SAFETY RECALLS, TWO OF WHICH WERE COMPLETED DECEMBER 12, 2018. A THIRD SAFETY RECALL, T25/NHTSA 17V-302, THAT, AT THE TIME OF MY FIRE INCIDENT, HAD NOT BEEN APPROVED BY CHRYSLER FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE. THE TWO SAFETY RECALLS WERE COMPLETED BY A DEALER APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME. ON THE DAY AFTER PICKING UP MY TRUCK, THE TRUCK'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAD A FIRE DURING MY 1-MILE DRIVE HOME FROM WORK. I OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, TURNED OFF THE MOTOR, OPENED THE HOOD AND OBSERVED FLAMES. MY LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, BUT I HAD ALREADY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. I NOTIFIED CHRYSLER AND THEY SUBSEQUENTLY DISPATCHED AN INVESTIGATOR TO MY HOME TO CONDUCT AN EVALUATION. ON JANUARY 3, 2018, THE INVESTIGATOR MET WITH ME AND PHOTOGRAPHED MY DAMAGED ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE INVESTIGATOR HAD EARLIER INFORMED ME THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE TOW TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE A PROPER EVALUATION COULD TAKE PLACE. THE SAFETY RECALL INDICATED THAT, FOR MY MODEL AND YEAR OF TRUCK, THE WATER PUMP COULD FAIL AND "MAY" CAUSE A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TODAY, JANUARY 19, 2018, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES INFORMING ME THAT AFTER THEIR INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE, "THE INFORMATION AT HAND WOULD NOT PERMIT US TO ASSOCIATE THE FIRE WITH A MANUFACTURING OR ASSEMBLY ERROR..." THEIR EVALUATION PROCEDURE WAS HAPHAZARD, AT BEST, AND HANDLED IN A VERY POOR MANNER. I ASKED THE EVALUATOR ABOUT HIS PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND, AND HE WAS NOT AN ENGINEER, OR A MECHANIC. HE SIMPLY OBTAINED PHOTOGRAPHS FOR HIS REPORT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW CHRYSLER COULD MAKE A REASONED DECISION IN THIS MATTER WITHOUT A PROPER EVALUATION BY A TRAINED ENGINEER OR MECHANIC. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. *BF *TR