NHTSA Complaint #11209334 — 2016 BMW M4

SPONTANEOUS CAR FIRE - JULY 16, 2018; 10:30PM - 2016 BMW M4 CONVERTIBLE THE CAR HAD ABOUT 22K MILES AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE AND WAS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER'S CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WARRANTY. IT HAD LAST BEEN SERVICED SIX MONTHS AGO AT 18,806 MILES FOR A REGULARLY SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE. THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY ISSUES IN THE 10 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. WE WERE DRIVING FROM DENVER TOWARDS SALINA, KS ON I-70 ON OUR WAY TO OK TRAVELING 75-80MPH. THE CAR WAS DRIVING NORMALLY WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON, THE AC WAS ON HALF AND THE WINDOWS AND TOP WERE UP. IT WAS DARK AND THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON. WITH NO WARNING, DARK NOXIOUS SMOKE STARTING POURING INTO THE CABIN, POSSIBLY THROUGH THE AC VENTS. THE SMOKE BURNED OUR EYES AND CAUSED US TO START COUGHING AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE AND BREATHE. BECAUSE IT WAS DARK OUT, WE COULDN'T IMMEDIATELY TELL WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM. WE ROLLED THE WINDOWS DOWN, BUT THAT INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING INTO THE CABIN, SO WE ROLLED THEM BACK UP. WE PULLED OVER AND EVACUATED THE VEHICLE. OTHER THAN THE SMOKE, ALL OF THE CAR FUNCTIONS WERE STILL WORKING. THE CAR WAS DRIVING FINE, BRAKES WERE WORKING, HEADLIGHTS WERE WORKING, AC WAS WORKING, WINDOW CONTROLS WERE WORKING. NO WARNINGS OR WARNING LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED. A FEW MINUTES AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE, THE FIRST FLAMES BEGAN COMING UP THROUGH THE TOP OF THE HOOD BY THE WINDSHIELD. WITHIN MINUTES THE ENTIRE ENGINE AREA WAS IN FLAMES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED. AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AND THE CAR COOLED, A FLATBED TOW TRUCK TOOK IT TO SALINA.