NHTSA Complaint #11186327 — 2013 SCION FR-S

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR J02 ENGINE VALVE SPRING SAFETY RECALL ON JAN 29TH, 2019 AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. TOOK THEM A COUPLE DAYS, BUT WHEN THEY FINISHED, THEY SAID THE CAR WAS GOOD AS NEW AND I COULD DRIVE IT NORMALLY. 2 WEEKS OF DAILY COMMUTE TO WORK WITH NO ISSUES, THEN ON FEB 17, 2019, I WAS DRIVING UP HIGHWAY 1 FOR A COUPLE HOURS, AS I CAME AROUND A TURN, I WAS GOING ABOUT 25MPH, I TAPPED THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN AS THE ROAD WAS SLOPING DOWNHILL WITH TWO HAIR PIN TURNS UP AHEAD. AS SOON AS I HIT THE BRAKE, I FELT THE REAR WHEELS GIVE WAY A LITTLE AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT BLINK (I WAS GOING 25MPH, NO REASON FOR TRACTION CONTROL TO ENGAGE). THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE WEIRD, SO I LET OFF THE BRAKE, COASTED DOWNHILL A LITTLE AND THEN TRIED TAPPING THE BRAKES AGAIN, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THINKING MY BRAKES ARE HAVING ISSUES, I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN BY SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEAR (MANUAL TRANSMISSION). WHEN I ENGAGED 2ND GEAR, I HEARD A POP AND SAW THE HOOD OF MY CAR JUMP UP AS IF SOMETHING INSIDE HIT IT AND SAW A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE. SINCE I JUST PASSED THE FIRST HAIRPIN TURN, I WAS LOOKING AHEAD TO SAFELY PARK MY VEHICLE TO THE SIDE, BUT I FELT MY FEET AND LEGS WERE BURNING HOT. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN, I SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE TIREWELL THROUGH THE WINDOW, IT WAS AT THIS POINT, I REMEMBERED I JUST FILLED UP A FULL TANK 20 MILES BACK, SO I USED THE BRAKES TO COMPLETELY STOP THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY - DISREGARDING ANY WARNING LIGHTS AND EXITED THE CAR. THE FIRE EVENTUALLY SPREAD AND BURNED THE ENTIRE CAR DOWN. I HAD NO CELL RECEPTION WHERE I WAS AT, SO I WAITED BY THE CAR UNTILL THE POLICE AND FIRE SHOWED UP.