Sorry this is my first post and it's so long, but I could use some advice.

I'll try to keep this post as short as possible.

On 11/12/12, my 2012 Crew caught fire. My wife, 2 kids, and I were sitting in it with the ignition on listening to the radio, waiting for a football game to start. When it was time to get out, my wife pressed the overhead button opening the rear hatch. She then opened the passenger door to get our folding chairs out of the back and the radio and dome lights turned off for a couple of seconds, then came back on. The radio was now tuned to 530AM, like it had freaked out and reset. Then we smelled electrical-fire smoke. A minute or so later, we could SEE the smoke was coming from the glove box area. It started getting worse, so we all got out and I moved the car over to an uninhabited part of the parking lot. By the time I got it parked, I could see a glowing wire burning through the carpet around where the front passengers feet go. The rest (and my new Durango) is history.

Fast forward to today. Insurance company has come back with my settlement amount. We were apparently NOT upside-down (we have GAP anyway) but I'm pissed. We will walk with UNDER $1000 after paying off our loan. Now I'm a realist and understand depreciation and everything, but we have about $20K in this car, it's Christmas time, I don't have extra money laying around for a down payment, I loved that Durango, and don't feel like I should be getting screwed on what is still basically a new car. To thicken the plot, we have found other instances of 2011 Crews doing the same thing. In the couple months before the fire, our radio had gone off a few times and came right back on. The power steering ALSO cut out 3 times for 3-5 seconds but came right back on. Otherwise, it was fine and was probably just under 27K miles.

I guess I'm looking for a few things. First and foremost, I'd like to warn anyone with a Durnago to keep an eye out for these symptoms. It totally sucks, but if it had happened in my garage at my house.......

I'd also like to see if anyone has had this happen to them, or maybe has an opinion or advice about what to do now. My insurance company had a fire investigator check it out and they say manufacturer defect and THEY are going to go after Dodge to get THEMSELVES reimbursed. Thats where THEY stop. I've always been a Dodge guy, and though probably not ready to give up on them, I'm unsure how I feel about another Durango. Ram? Anyway, I sent an email to Dodge customer service but not sure what other people might do and welcome suggestions.

 

Is this vehicle not under manufacturer warranty? I'm pretty sure a safety issue like this should be reported to the MFR and NHTSA.gov You should be working with the manufacturer and not your insurance company to have this new vehicle replaced.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

 

Ken,

I am sorry to hear about what you have experienced with your Durango. I would suggest you contact the Chrysler Customer Assistance Center immediately at one of the numbers below as Chrysler has a process in place to investigate incidents such as this.

800-992-1997 United States
800-465-2001 Canada

 

Thanks for your reply, but not feeling so much like Dodge "CARES". Here is their email response from my email to them:

"
Dear Kenneth:

Thank you for contacting the Dodge Customer Assistance Center regarding
your 2011 Durango.

We were sorry to learn of your vehicle fire and understand your concern.
If you haven't already done so, it is recommended that you contact your
insurance company and advise them of the incident. Unfortunately we will
be unable to send an agent out to investigate since the vehicle is
totalled and your insurance company holds all rights of recovery through
a process called subrogation.

Thanks again for your email.

Sincerely,

Maria

Customer Service Representative
Dodge Customer Assistance Center

For any future communications related to this email, please refer to the
following information:"

If you think my calling will net a different response, let me know.

 

I would call anyway just to be sure.

 

It has been reported to the NHTSA. I filed a complaint with them. As far as the warranty, the day after the fire, my lovely dealership said "it if were him, he would file a claim with his insurance company so I didn't lose any rights".

 

Just called the Dodge Customer Assistance Center. Spoke with a Brianne who was much less than helpful.
She basically told me they would have sent an investigator out to look at the vehicle but cannot because I filed a claim with my insurance company. I told her that my insurance company claims adjuster told me a DODGE investigator HAS been out to inspect the vehicle and they are pursuing subrigation. I also told her that my dealership is who told me to file the insurance claim in the first place. She thanked me for calling Dodge and wished me a good day. I'm open to other suggestions? I HATE the idea of using lawyers, but come on!

 

Personally, if I was in your shoes...

I'd first exhaust all avenues (contact insurance, reachout to Chrysler/Dodge directly etc) and play nice. If that failed and Chrysler/Dodge didn't deal with the situation then I would get legal counsel involved and likely sue. Sure, legal counsel costs money but in a situation like this one would HOPE that the courts would rule in your favor.

In my opinion, incidents like this just should not happen and Chrysler, as the manufacturer, is responsible for ensuring that their customers are safe in the vehicles. From the sounds of it, you and your family could have been killed had you not noticed it earlier. Glad you are safe but Chrysler should make right on this. Good luck!

 

Yeah, I guess that's where I'm at. Insurance is done. They apparently issued the checks to my leinholder and myself today. Emailed and called Dodge and no joy. Unless the Dodgecares guy has any other suggestions, the polietely asking Dodge to make this right avenue is done. I did file the complaint with the NHTSA and am looking at other groups and agencies to complain to. I was apparently naive enough to think that a company like Dodge would WANT to make things right and not have someone out there telling everyone who would listen how bad they are getting boned and how their products defect nearly took out a family of five. Incidentally, nearly every time this Durango was parked, it was in my garage with my kids rooms being directly above. Scary! I am thankful it went this way at least. I did go to my dealership today to cancel my GAP and extended warranty and told the floor manager my story. He swears up and down he can make me a good enough deal on a new one that I wont feel this way, but I don't see it. Think its just another sales pitch and not sure how I feel about giving them any more of my money. Merry Christmas, right?

 

IF the dealer management says they "can make it right" you have nothing to loose by looking at their offer. You can certainly walk if you don't like it.

You like the vehicle, hear them out. Worst that can happen is saying "No Thanks", best that can happen is a new 2013 replacing a 2011 that sounds like it had an electrical short in a wiring harness somewhere in the dash. Could have been a piece of insulation scraped bare during install or a bad connector crimp.