NHTSA Complaint #11705625 — 2023 JEEP WRANGLER

After pressing the start/stop button to start the vehicle, it immediately began making a loud and unusual noise. Recognizing that this was not a normal sound, I pressed the start/stop button again in an attempt to turn the vehicle off. However, the vehicle did not disengage and would not shut off as expected. The noise continued and became louder, and smoke began coming from the sides of the vehicle and from underneath. When the hood was opened, there was very thick white smoke coming from the engine compartment along with a strong burning smell. The smoke was too thick to determine whether there were any visible flames. After a short period of time, the engine finally disengaged on its own, but the smoke continued for a period of time after the vehicle shut off. The exact cause of the shutdown is unknown. We did not attempt to restart the vehicle. After the incident, there was visible melted plastic material and residue on the concrete beneath the vehicle, consistent with something overheating or melting in the engine compartment. The vehicle was not driven after this incident and was towed to the nearest dealership for inspection, where it remains pending further evaluation.