NHTSA Complaint #11320777 — 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA250

LAST WEEK ON MARCH 31ST I WENT TO TURN MY VEHICLE ON SINCE I WANTED TO MOVE IT FROM MY PARKING SPOT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MY GARAGE IN ORDER FOR ME TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE SHORTLY WITH MY 2 MONTH OLD BABY. AS SOON AS I PUT THE KEY IN THE INGNITION SLOT AND TURN THE KEY I HEARD LIKE A ZAPPING NOISE INSTANTLY AND NOTICED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE STEERING WHEEL AREA. SORT OF NEAR THE FLOOR OS THE DRIVERS SIDE. I IMMEDIATELY HOP OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM AND JUST AS QUICKLY FLAMES STARTED COMING FROM THE SAME AREA AS THE SMOKE. I CALLED 911 AND IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES, BURNING DOWN. THE FLAMES THEN BLEW ALL THE WINDOWS AND MOON ROOF TRYING TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE RESCUE CAME MOST OF THE VEHICLE WAS GONE. I THANK GOD I DIDNT GET TO MOVE THIS VEHICLE AS I HAD ORIGINIALLY PLANNED BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE AND MY FAMILIES. I OWNED THIS VEHICLE ONLY ABOUT 3 YEARS AND IT NEVER EVER GAVE ME PROBLEMS. ALL OF ITS MAINTANANCE WAS UP TO DATE AND NEVER HAD ANY ELECTRICAL ISSUES OR MAJOR REPAIRS DUE TO ANYTHING. I AM ALMOST CERTAIN THIS WAS A FUSE OR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BURST INTO FLAMES DUE TO THE ZAPPING NOISE I HEARD AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TURNED ON. I HAD BEEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE PERFECTLY FINE WHICH IS WHY THIS CAME AS A HUGE SURPRISE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE OTHERS ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE SINCE ITS A HUGE RISK. MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE HAS NEVER HAD ANY RECALLS AND IM ALWAYS CHECKING AND UP TO DATE WITH EVERYTHING. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE MERCEDES BENZ MANUFACTURING COMPANY TO LET THEM KNOW OF THIS AS WELL.