NHTSA Complaint #764866 — 1997 JEEP CHEROKEE

AFTER RETURNING FROM THE GROCERY STORE, I PARKED THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY. 30 MINUTES LATER, I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND THE TOP OF THE HOOD WAS BLACK & BLISTERED. WE DIALED 911 TO REPORT THIS AND THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON, MA SENT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THEY WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THE HOOD RELEASE BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN MELTED BY THE HEAT. THEY FORCIBLY OPENED THE HOOD AND HOSED DOWN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT UNTIL IT HAD COOLED TO A SAFE POINT. THEY FILED A REPORT AND THE POLICE ALSO FILED A REPORT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL CHRYLSER DEALER THAT SAME DAY. ON MONDAY, JULY 22, 2002 I NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE COMPANY MET LIFE. THEY SENT AN APPRAISER THAT WEEK WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY DEBRIS ENTERING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. I NOTIFIED CHRYSLER MANUFACTURING COMPANY AT THEIR CONSUMER COMPLAINT NUMBER AT 9AM MONDAY JULY 22ND THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ENGINE FIRE IN MY 1997 JEEP CHEROKEE SPORT. I ALSO RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER IS RECALLING OVER A MILLION SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FROM 1999 TO 2002 BECAUSE OF A MANIFOLD PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE FIRE. MANY OF THESE CARS WERE JEEP CHEROKEE MODELS. IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME BY THE MECHANIC AND INSURANCE APPRAISER THAT THIS IS WHY MY CAR HAD AN ENGINE FIRE. TODAY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT, JULY 29, 2002. CHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS NOT RETURNED MY CALLS OR GONE TO SEE THE CAR AND REVIEW THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FIRE. I AM NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF MY CAR CAN BE SAFELY REPAIRED AND AVOID A RECURRENCE OF THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU CAN INVESTIGATE MY COMPLAINT AND REVIEW THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FIRE IN MY VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF IT SHOULD ALSO BE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. CAN IT BE REPAIRED SO THAT THE ENGINE FIRE DOES NOT RECUR DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE DESIGN.