NHTSA Complaint #760086 — 1991 JEEP CHEROKEE

WHILE DRIVING, THE DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT. I TURNED THE DIMMER CONTROL AND THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD ONLY BE ON FULL BRIGHTNESS OR OFF, THERE WAS NO DIMMER CONTROL. APPROXIMATELY 60 SECONDS LATER WE COULD SMELL SOMETHING HOT. APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES LATER WE NOTICED A GLOW COMING FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH BOARD. WE WERE CLOSE TO OUR HOME AND TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY, AT WHICH TIME I WAS FORCED TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DUE TO BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT AIR CONDITIONING VENT. I PULLED UP TO THE GARAGE,SHUT OFF THE IGNITION, PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE AND EXITED THE CAR. MY WIFE GOT OUT OF THE PASSENGERS SIDE AND IMMEDIATLY HEADED FOR THE HOUSE TO GET WATER. I HURRIED INTO THE GARAGE TO RETRIVE A PAIR OF PLIERS TO PULL THE BATTERY GROUND CABLE. AS I EXITED THE GARAGE FLAMES WERE VISABLE ABOVE THE DASH INSIDE THE JEEP. I POPPED THE HOOD AND PULLED THE GROUND CABLE OFF, BY THIS TIME THE FLAMES WERE REACHING THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. I MOVED AROUND TO THE DRIVERS DOOR AND OPENED IT AS MY WIFE ARRIVED WITH A BUCKET OF WATER AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL; IN EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES. THE REOSTAT FOR THE DASH LIGHTS HAD SHORTED OUT AND DID NOT BLOW THE FUSE. THE LIGHT SWITCH BECAME HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE PLASTIC SURROUNDING THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS ABOVE IT, MELTING THE AIR CONDITIONER VENT, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH AND BURNING THE HEADLINER AND SUN VISOR. HAD WE NOT BEEN CLOSE TO HOME I BELIEVE THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BURNED COMPLETELY AS WE WOULD HAVE HAD NO MEANS OF PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. A FELLOW EMPLOYEE TOLD ME HE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIANCE WITH A 1989 JEEP CHEROKEE. I HAVE REMOVED THE DASH AND WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND WOULD HAVE IT AVAILABLE IF ANYONE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE?*AK