NHTSA Complaint #707891 — 1991 TOYOTA COROLLA

MY CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED. IT WAS PARKED IN THE SUN ON A WARM (80 DEGREE) DAY AS USUAL. I GOT IN MY CAR AND EVEN BEFORE I PUT MY KEY IN THE IGNITION I HEARD A STATIC/CRACKLING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR SPEAKERS. IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME RIGHT AWAY THAT THE CAR ENGINE WAS OFF SO I SHOULD NOT HAVE HEARD THE RADIO AT ALL. AS I STARTED THE CAR I HIT THE RADIO BUTTON THINKING THE RADIO WAS ON BUT HAD LOST THE STATION. THE NOISE DID NOT GO AWAY WHEN I HIT THE BUTTON AND I REALIZED THE CAR WAS FILLING WITH SMOKE, COMING FROM INSIDE THE UPPER DASH (AREA OF RADIO) IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. SMOKE CONTINUED TO COME FROM THE AIR VENTS. IT SEEMED TO HAVE A ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL (I'VE WORKED IN LABS AND STARTED A FEW MYSELF...) VERSUS A GAS OR OIL OR OTHER BURNING SMELL. WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED, I CHECKED THE REST OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE LIGHTS AND AIR CONDITIONING AND DIGITAL CLOCK WORKED FINE. THE CAR REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANY MUCH ELSE I COULD CHECK, NO ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS, ETC. I PULLED THE RADIO FUSE. IT WAS NOT BLOWN. I STARTED THE CAR WITH FRIENDS WATCHING AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE FINE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME A 5 MILE RIDE WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEM. THE RADIO/CASSETTE PLAYER WERE INSTALLED WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. I USE IT ALL THE TIME AND NEVER HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE. MY CONCERN HERE IS COULD THE CAR HAVE CAUGHT FIRE JUST SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT OR AT ANY OTHER TIME FROM THIS ELECTRICAL (?) PROBLEM? THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS HAD I BEEN ON A MAIN ROAD WITH MY YOUNG CHILD STRAPPED IN THE CAR SEAT. THE RADIO WAS CRACKLING WITHOUT THE KEY EVEN IN THE IGNITION, SO SOMETHING WAS GOING ON EVEN BEFORE I GOT IN THE CAR. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS REPORT. *AK