NHTSA Complaint #11496234 — 2019 TOYOTA TUNDRA

We were driving down an unpaved road at 8 mph in 4WDh in our 2019 Toyota Tundra when I heard a couple popping sounds from inside the car. Then it stopped. I opened the passenger side door to get out and check on the truck, and flames were pouring out under the engine. There were 3 of us in the car. We immediately got out and tried to pour water and throw sand on the fire. It grew very quickly, so we ran away. The car was immediately engulfed in flames like something out of a movie with black smoke going high into the air. Within 5-10 minutes, the truck was totally gone. There were no warning signs/lights other than the 2 pops and then fire/explosion. We are very lucky we did not die. We bought it brand new. It was the first new car we’ve ever owned. It was impeccably cared for. We always brought it to the Toyota dealership in Eugene, OR for service. It was there about a month prior to the explosion. During that visit, they replaced the battery as well as dealt with the halogen light recall. Other things were more routine maintenance. We are in shock and do not want this to happen to others. We also do not know what our next steps are, but we wanted your agency to be aware of this issue. The local dealership said it must have been a car defect or bad workmanship at our last service. Either way, it was terrifying.