NHTSA Complaint #11458133 — 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500

The contact owned a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving at 50 MPH with his wife in the front passenger seat and six passengers in the rear seats, the vehicle began to stall. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine and noticed smoke coming out of the hood and inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. Both the contact and his wife exited the vehicle. The contact stated while he was contacting road side assistance, his wife noticed smoke and flame coming out of the front passenger's side Whewell of the vehicle. All the passengers exited the vehicle. The contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher; however, the fire restarted and increased significantly. The contact stated that the fire burned the front end of the vehicle. There were no injuries sustained. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A fire department report was filed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.