NHTSA Complaint #723892 — 1996 FREIGHTLINER FLD120

THIS IS A 1996 FREIGHTLINER IM AM BUYING OFF OF BUSKE LINES INC. I WAS IN A RESTURANT EATING IN A RESTURANT IN INDIANA. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT UNIT WAS ON FIRE. I RAN TO TRUCK AND FIRE HAD GUTTED INSIDE OF CAB MY DOG WAS TRAPPED IN THE SLEEPER AND WAS KILLED I NOTICED NO SMOKE WHEN I LEFT TRUCK BUT SMELLED SOMETHING LIKE HOT PLASTIC I CHECKED BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING BURNING. TRUCK WAS THEN TOWED TO ST LOUIS MO I WAS INFORMED BY FIRE DEPT AND SHERRIF THAT IF I WOULD OF LAID DOWN I WOULD HAVE PROBELY BEEN KILLED DUE TO TOXIC FUMES PRODUCED BY SMOKE. IN RECENT MONTHS I HAVE SEEN IN PERSON A MINIMUM OF 10 OTHER TRUCKS SAME YEAR AND MODEL WITH SAME FIRE DAMAGE STARTING IN THE SAME AREA. I ALSO HAVE A WIREING JUNCTION BLOCK THAT WAS TAKEN FROM ANOTHER TRUCK SAME YEAR THAT HAS MELTED AND STARTED TO BURN BUT WAS REPLACED BEFORE IT CAUGHT ANOTHER TRUCK ON FIRE. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN REBUILT BUT AM STILL AFRAID OF FIRE IN WIRING I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT FREIGHTLINER WITH NO RESPOSE . ALSO NOT ONLY IN MY UNIT BUT OTHERS AT NIGHT WHEN YOUR DASH LIGHT ARE ON ALL GUAGES [ESPECIALLY WHEN HEATER IS ON] YOU CAN NOT PLACE YOUR HAND ON ANY GUAGE AND LEAVE IT THERE BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY HOT IN MY OPINION THIS WOULD ALSO BE A MEANS OF A FIRE STARTING SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS . I AM DOING MORE INVESTIGATION ON MY OWN FOR MORE FIRES OF THIS NATURE PLEASE NEED YOUR HELP I HAVE OVER 28 YEARS OF DRIVING AND HAVE NEVER HAD ONE CATCH FIRE IS IT GOING TO TAKE A HUMAN LIFE TO CORRECT THIS ..THANK YOU. *AK