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Chrysler & Dodge Fires

John of Tifton GA (2/10/06)
Back in 2001 I bought a 1999 Dodge Stratus. Within a few months we had to take it in and have a new head gasket put in it. Just last week on 2-3-2006 my wife and 14-year-old son went to our bank. While my wife was inside, my son who was waiting for her in the car, noticed smoke coming out from under the hood. He yelled "help fire" and thank God there was a man there who helped my son put out the fire.

His quick thinking probably saved my son's life and saved the car from completly burning up. Since last week I learned that Dodge is investigating fualty power steering pump hoses and connections which could lead to a fire on the 1999 Dodge Stratus. Our car is sitting at our local Dodge dealership and we are waiting for an inspection team from the Dodge company to go there and inspect the car to see where the problem started.

Jacqueline of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico (11/29/05)
On Thanksgiving Day 2005, I was driving with my 74-year-old grandmother, who is blind, to my mother's house. As I was driving up towards her house, smoke started coming out of the front of the car, along with flames. As I started to pull over, there was a popping sound and the power steering gave away, making it difficult to steer any further.

I put the car in park, removed the key from the ignition and got out of the car in order to remove my grandmother from the passenger's side. As I got to her, the car's locks went down, which caused me to panic. I immediately remembered I had the keys and opened the door. By this time there were flames pouring from the top and the bottom of the car.

I told my grandmother to hold on to me and start running as fast as she could. She asked me what was happening and I told her, "The car is in flames and can blow up." We started running and screaming for help. Neighbors came out and tried extinguishing the fire. The Fire and Police Dept. showed up and reports were made. My car was a total loss and the Fireman told me these cars have been known to burn up before.

Deborah of Memphis (11/14/05):
My 1997 Dodge Caravan caught on fire in my carport on 11-12-05. (It barely missed burning down my home) I have been advised to file a complaint as vehicles are not supposed to catch on fire. Caravan completely destroyed, siding in garage and garage ceiling completely destroyed.

Jason of New Port Richey FL (11/8/05):
1999 Dodge Stratus caught fire while parked. I have no transportation to work and somehow need to get to work to buy a new car to get me to work. Waste of $2,200.

Melissa of Houston (6/13/05):
I bought a Dodge Avenger V6 ES in 2001, it was a 1995, bought it from the dealer. The car was "certified" and I bought an extended warranty for it. In 2002 the transmission blew out and in 2003 the engine gave. Worst, it caught on fire last week which is now a total loss.

I was trapped in my car because the electrical went out and I had to break my way out as my dash melted and the entire interior is gone. I will never trust Dodge again. Luckily I had just dropped off my 4 year old at school so she was not with me. We would have probably died because I would have panicked.

My car was paid off and now I am having to hitch rides and ride the city bus.

Lindsey of Lumberton MS (5/12/05)
My 1999 Dodge Stratus caught on fire. I had just gone into the First Bank in Hattiesburg, MS when we were notified a car was on fire in the parking lot. The Hattiesburg Police Department notified the Hattiesburg Fire Dept. The car was a total loss.

Clay of Vancouver WA (4/4/05)
I had a 2001 Ram 1500. While driving down the highway, the engine stalled and by the time I stopped, there were flames coming up over the side of the truck. Needless to say, the vehicle and all of my belonging in the truck were burnt to a crisp. Dogde has not offered any kind of help at all. They say it was not a manufacturers defect and that is all they say.

My insurance says it appears to have been a fuel pump problem, although there was not enough of the pump left to tell. I have heard of a few fires like this after filling up with gas, which is what I had just done.

Michael of Dunaway KY (2/28/05)
I am paralyzied and live on a farm and one of my dogs got in a field behind my house and was yelping like he was hurt so I headed down the hill in my 2003 Dodge Dakota. I got stuck and was attempting to get my truck free and something caught fire under my truck. I crawled out of the truck on the ground and looked to see what was smoking and I saw a small fire and realized my truck was burning.

I called the fire department and the fire was eventually taken care of and put out but not before my truck had burned completely to the ground. My question is why would my truck catch fire,from me just trying to get it unstuck from the mud?

William of Bayamon PR (5/4/03):
My 99 Dodge Stratus caught on fire, in the engine compartment, while parked, after driving in heavy city traffic. Chrysler inspected car and denied any reponsibility. Last week, my father's 99 Dodge Neon also caught on fire, in the engine compartment, while parked, after driving in heavy city traffic.

Chrysler Corp. in PR are not even returning my calls. I observed that both cars have a plastic or rubber fuel line, feeding the fuel injectors that runs over the engine, and melted away, spraying fuel over the whole area.

My wife and son escaped physical injuries in the Stratus fire, even though they were inside the car when it happened. They got out in time. Car was a total loss.

On the Neon fire, my mother(78) and I were already out, inside a store, when it started. Car is probably a total loss. At this time I cannot put a value on the stress and the fear that we are all going thru. Both cars were bought used. Stratus $9000, Neon $5000.

Jonathan of Ft. Hood TX (8/26/02)
I had a fire under my 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quadcab and it has been determined by Chrysler investigators that Chrysler will repair the damages. However, the dealership service manager has been completely rude and refuses to comply with Chrysler and will not order any parts to fix my truck without express authorization from Chrysler.

This would be workable if he would tell Chrysler all of the parts, but I have spent a week now trying to get resolution. My wife has been without her truck now since 13 August. I do not feel that Chrysler cares about the customer or what they go through.

I now have a vehicl that is worthless for sell or trade. My wife is terrified of driving the truck and my kids were subjected to a situation that could have resulted in the loss of their life and scared them drastically. They not only were placed in danger along with my wife and myself, but had to watch their Dad in a vehicle that had fire under it trying to save his vehicle after I made my wife and kids get out of the truck in New Mexico during the heat of the day and stand bare foot on the side of I-10 while I worked with the truck. My insurance company estimates $16900.00 in repairs.

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