NHTSA Complaint #11589281 — 2021 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

On [XXX], at approximately 9:30AM, I was driving my daughter’s 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L (VIN: [XXX]) to my home to detail it for her. After turning onto [XXX] from [XXX], Spring Branch, TX, the digital screens in front of the driver and in the center console turned off and went blank. Approximately 3-5 seconds later, the screens turned on, but then they went blank again after about 5 seconds. At this time, the engine felt as though it was stumbling as though it was running out of fuel. I then began to smell what smelled like melting plastic and then I saw dark colored smoke beginning to come out from under the center console on the right side of the vehicle. I slowed down and looked for a safe place to pull the car off of the road. The entire scenario appeared to have lasted 1-2 minutes, but I really don’t know exactly how long it was before I was able to exit the vehicle. In order to see where I was going, I rolled down the front windows and as soon as I did so, I saw flames appearing from underneath the center console on the right side of the vehicle. I was able to stop the vehicle on the right shoulder of the road and then I placed the vehicle in park and I exited the vehicle. I moved away from the vehicle and called 9-1-1. Bulverde – Spring Branch Fire & EMS and Comal County Sheriff’s Department arrived several minutes later and when they arrived, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)