I returned home late on evening after an evening of shopping, dinner, & movie. I parked my car in the garage and ten minutes later heard a loud "whoosh" sound. I went to the garage to investigate and saw white smoke. After opening the garage door to dissipate the smoke I looked around the car. I did not see any problem with the tires or leaking fluids. I did see black singe marks along the edge of the hood and black dust over the hood. The fire department & sheriff were called. The firemen determined that a fire occurred under the hood of the car and, miraculously, put itself out. They also determined that a loose wire was arcing with the alternator and disconnected the battery. They ruled the cause of the fire as faulty electrical wiring. The car is 3.5 months old with just under 3000 miles on it. My brother-in-law, who is a retired mechanic, went with me to the dealership to pick up my things from the car and get a loaner car. He could see that the line going from the compressor ruptured during the fire. He speculated that the "whoosh" sound I heard was ac refrigeration escaping when the line ruptured and that the fluids extinguished the fire. I am waiting for an inspector from Chrysler to look at the car. I have an incident file open with Chrysler, #12193081. I also have the report from sheriff. Since this just happened, no resolution has been determined.

- Lockport, NY, USA