Monday 7/2.18 around 5:00 P.M. was incredibly HOT so I backed into a shady parking spot to wait for my son who was at Physical Therapy. I was only there a few minutes when I noticed a strange smell, it wasn't the normal smell like when cars overheat or plastic burning. It kinda smelled like Hot Dogs so I rolled down the passenger side window to see if the couple parked a few spots away in a Jeep had gone to Teds or something, but they hadn't. I was rolling the window back up and I noticed a puff of smoke or steam and thought, maybe I am overheating? I looked at the gauge and it was straight up between the C and the H, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw like a glow coming from under the hood. Not putting it all together I popped the hood and air rushed in under the hood and flames shot across my windshield!!! I about Sh*t myself!!! I reached over, opened the door and tried to roll out, but I couldn't. My seat was reclined all the way back and I was struggling to get my seatbelt open. It was probably a few seconds at most, but it felt like hours. I roll/fall out of my car on to my knees and for some reason, I reached back in and shut it off and ran like Hell!!! I had texted my son that I was going to be napping in my car, to come out when he was done. He was doing his exercise and he told me a girl said "someone's car is on fire in the parking lot," he looked out, saw it was mine and Panicked. He said he didn't touch a stair the whole way down. I was standing in the front hall of the building and he ran past us. I yelled "Aric" and he stopped like he ran into a wall when he heard my voice, I hugged him and said, "I'm OK." That's what's Most important, BUT Dodge needs to Answer for this. I sent them an email 2 days ago and haven't heard back. I'll wait another day and they'll be hearing from my Lawyer. I'll keep ya posted as I learn more about WTF Happened and what could possibly have caused a perfectly good, well-maintained car to catch fire and Burn?!? My guess is it had to be a catastrophic failure in the Engine for it to melt the entire front end like THAT!?!
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Monday 7/2.18 around 5:00 P.M. was incredibly HOT so I backed into a shady parking spot to wait for my son who was at Physical Therapy. I was only there a few minutes when I noticed a strange smell, it wasn't the normal smell like when cars overheat or plastic burning. It kinda smelled like Hot Dogs so I rolled down the passenger side window to see if the couple parked a few spots away in a Jeep had gone to Teds or something, but they hadn't. I was rolling the window back up and I noticed a puff of smoke or steam and thought, maybe I am overheating? I looked at the gauge and it was straight up between the C and the H, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw like a glow coming from under the hood. Not putting it all together I popped the hood and air rushed in under the hood and flames shot across my windshield!!! I about Sh*t myself!!! I reached over, opened the door and tried to roll out, but I couldn't. My seat was reclined all the way back and I was struggling to get my seatbelt open. It was probably a few seconds at most, but it felt like hours. I roll/fall out of my car on to my knees and for some reason, I reached back in and shut it off and ran like Hell!!! I had texted my son that I was going to be napping in my car, to come out when he was done. He was doing his exercise and he told me a girl said "someone's car is on fire in the parking lot," he looked out, saw it was mine and Panicked. He said he didn't touch a stair the whole way down. I was standing in the front hall of the building and he ran past us. I yelled "Aric" and he stopped like he ran into a wall when he heard my voice, I hugged him and said, "I'm OK." That's what's Most important, BUT Dodge needs to Answer for this. I sent them an email 2 days ago and haven't heard back. I'll wait another day and they'll be hearing from my Lawyer. I'll keep ya posted as I learn more about WTF Happened and what could possibly have caused a perfectly good, well-maintained car to catch fire and Burn?!? My guess is it had to be a catastrophic failure in the Engine for it to melt the entire front end like THAT!?!
- davextreme, Tonawanda, US