NHTSA Complaint #11555282 — 2015 TESLA MODEL S

While driving on the freeway, I thought I heard a rattling from the sunroof, and so I cracked the sunroof to 12% open, and then closed it again. The moment the sunroof closed, smoke with an electrical burn smell began billowing in through the air vents in the front of the car. We immediately opened the car windows to allow fresh air and exited the highway. Smoke continued to pour into the cabin while I pulled the car to the side of the road in a residential neighborhood. The car was parked within ~2 minutes of the smoke initiating. During this time, there were no warnings or hazards that I noticed on the dashboard. My family grabbed their immediate belongings and got out of the car, while I turned on the hazard lights, and also then exited the vehicle, popping the trunk of the car and the frunk to allow smoke to dissipate. The smoke didn’t seem to decrease after pulling to the side, nor opening and venting the car. After being at the side of the road for probably 1-2 minutes, a visible fire sprung up at the intersection of the hood/front windshield at which point I called 911. The fire quickly spread to consume the hood and cabin of the vehicle. Multiple explosions from the vehicle were seen and heard, sounding like gunshots at times, drawing many concerned neighbors from their homes. By the time the first responders arrived, the front of the car and cabin were largely consumed down to the metal framework, and the trunk had fallen shut and was also on-fire.