NHTSA Complaint #11600531 — 2021 BMW 530E

My family was driving home on California [XXX] approaching [XXX]. Suddenly we saw heavy white smoke coming from our vehicle. Vehicles behind us had to almost stop as the smoke was very thick and covered all lanes. We pulled over and turned off the car. I started checking the control panel for any issues or alerts and found none. We never received any indication of issues in the control panel or dashboard. My husband got out of the car and inspected the tires which were all ok. He opened the hood and immediately saw flames from the center bottom of the hood. We all got out of the vehicle immediately and called 911. California Highway Patrol arrived and soon after Cal Fire arrived. Within 10 minutes my car was engulfed in flames and only the trunk area was sparred. I believe this was a malfunction or defect in the battery or electrical as we did not get any warning of engine issues or overheating. There have been several recalls on this model for battery defects which can lead to fire. My family's safety was put at risk as these batteries are highly combustible and could have exploded with us in the car. We had no warning whatsoever to immediately get out of the car and we were sitting there for at least 5-8 minutes trying to figure out what the issue was and who to call. I don't know at what point the car locked itself as the firemen had to use the jaws of life to open a door for the VIN. What if the car would have locked when we were still inside. I filed a claim with my insurance and they are deeming it a total loss based on the photos. I contacted the BMW service center and they said they can't do anything and I have to go through the insurance to have the car inspected. I asked if BMW will be sending someone to determine the cause and the rep said no. I sense that BMW does not want to do a thorough inspection of what caused the fire as the vehicle is still under manufacturer warranty and they would have to replace the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.