NHTSA Complaint #11404722 — 2014 TOYOTA RAV4

WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK ON A WELL GRADED AND FULLY MAINTAINED DIRT ROAD, ALL THE LIGHTS IN MY DASH STARTED FLICKERING, AND THEN MY CARS ENGINE SHUT DOWN. IT FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING / COASTING IN NEUTRAL. I PULLED OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, THEN SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM BENEATH THE HOOD. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. IT WAS A LITTLE SMOKE, THEN MORE, AND THEN SUBSIDED TO BEING BARLEY NOTICEABLE AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES. AFTER IT SUBSIDED, I GOT BACK IN THE CAR TO TRY TO START IT, HOPING IT WAS AN OVERHEATED ENGINE AND I MIGHT GET THE CAR TO TURN OVER. IT WOULD NOT START. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I NOTICED A HISSING NOISE COMING FROM BENEATH THE HOOD, SAW A LIQUID DRIPPING BENEATH THE THE FRONT LEFT (DRIVERS SIDE) PART OF THE CAR. I ALSO SAW A SMALL FLAME. I CALLED 911 TO REPORT THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. WITHIN 10-15 MINUTES, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE PARK RANGER, SHERIFF, AND FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP SHORTLY AFTER THAT. A CHARRED CAR FRAME IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S LEFT.