NHTSA Complaint #11079764 — 2008 DODGE NITRO

...SO, I LEFT MY HOUSE, GOT ABOUT A BLOCK DOWN THE STREET AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HORN STARTS BLARING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED MOVING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID SPRAYED, ALL OF MY INTERIOR AND WARNING LIGHTS STARTING BLINKING IN AND OUT AND MY NITRO STARTED SPUTTERING. AT THIS POINT I HAD LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES BUT I MANAGED TO PULL IT OVER TO THE CURB AND THE CAR DIES. I'M SITTING THERE THINKING TO MYSELF, "WHAT IN THE HELL?!" I WAS ALREADY STARTLED FROM THE HORN RANDOMLY BLARING, SO I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF SWALLOWING MY HEART WHEN HEAVY, THICK SMOKE STARTS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ...AND IT STINKS LIKE SMOLDERING WIRING. I SNATCHED MY KEYS, POPPED THE HOOD (WHICH PROBABLY WASN'T TOO BRIGHT IN HINDSIGHT) AND RIPPED THE WIRING OFF OF THE BATTERY TERMINALS. IT WAS HOT UNDER THAT HOOD AND I'M GLAD I HAD THE WHEREWITHAL TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. I REALIZED THEN THAT THE CAR WAS NEVER GOING TO START AGAIN, NOR WOULD I WANT TO. I HAD A FRIEND TOW IT TO HIS SHOP AND HE HAD A LOOK. THE TIPM, WIRING HARNESS/WIRING AND SURROUNDING PLASTIC WAS ALL DESTROYED. HE SAID THE WIRES GOT SO HOT THAT IT WOULD ALL HAVE TO BE RE-RUN THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE, A $3500 TO 4000 ESTIMATE. FORGET THAT NOISE. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THE CAR WAS MOVING WHEN ALL OF THIS HAPPENED AND HAD I NOT BEEN IN A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED.