NHTSA Complaint #11078564 — 2011 DODGE DURANGO

WHILE DRIVING AFTER A 30 MINUTE COMMUTE AND ENTERING STOP AND GO DOWNTOWN MORNING COMMUTE TRAFFIC, (SLOW, DRIVING ON CITY STREETS BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC) MY DURANGO BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT INTO THE CABIN. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON DURING THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE. ALL TEMP GAUGES SHOWED NORMAL. THE CAR BECAME INCREASINGLY HARD TO DRIVE, FEELING TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. MORE SMOKE CAME FROM OUT OF ALL SIDES OF THE HOOD. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE AND CHECKING THE HOOD, I COULD SEE FLUID COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT ENGINE COMPARTMENT - TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE CAR. WHEN I LIFTED THE HOOD, THE ENGINE WAS FULLY INVOLVED IN FLAMES. I DROPPED THE HOOD CLOSED AND RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. WITHING 15 MINUTES THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS BURNED OUT, HOOD AND VARIOUS OTHER PARTS MELTED. CAR HAD TO BE TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE AGENCY.