NHTSA Complaint #11246138 — 2016 RAM 1500

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK 22 AUGUST 2019, AN 8 MILE DRIVE. I WENT TO ACCELERATE TO REACH POSTED SPEED LIMIT AFTER TURNING OFF OF A SIDE STREET ONTO MAIN ROAD. I HAD NO FORWARD MOMENTUM WHEN I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO MANUALLY SHIFT GEARS THINKING IT WAS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP TO RPM BUT STILL BARELY ANY FORWARD MOMENTUM. I WAS LOSING SPEED QUICKLY. SOMETHING GRABBED MY ATTENTION, NOT SURE IF I HEARD SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY BUT I HAPPENED TO LOOK OUT MY REVIEW AND SIDE MIRRORS AND NOTICE A HUGE PLUME OF SMOKE EXITING MY VEHICLE. AT ABOUT THAT SAME MOMENT, I NOTICED A LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FROM THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS OFF, I STILL NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND FRONT WHEEL WELLS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT TO BE A COOLANT HOSE RUPTURE DUE TO THE COLOR OF THE SMOKE/STEAM. I IMMEDIATELY JUMPED OUT AND OPENED THE HOOD THINKING IT WAS A COOLANT ISSUE. RIGHT AWAY I NOTICED A FLAME AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE. I HAD NO ACCESS TO WATER WHERE I WAS LOCATED AND MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO BLOW IT OUT. IT WORKED FOR ME BUT PROBABLY ONLY BECAUSE I HAD GOT TO THE FIRE BEFORE IT WAS ABLE TO SPREAD TOO QUICK. FIRE/RESCUE WAS DISPATCHED, REMOVED ENGINE COVER AND NOTICED SMOLDERING PLASTIC/WIRE HARNESS AND DOUSED WITH 4-5 CUPS OF WATER UNTIL ALL TRACES OF FIRE WERE GONE. TOW TRUCK DELIVERED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP APPROX 10 MILES FROM WHERE VEHICLE WAS DISABLED. *DT *TR