Dodge Chrysler Minivans are Fire Hazards

"I was cruising down the highway in my 2002 Dodge Chrysler minivan when smoke billowed out from the hood. By the time I pulled into a parking lot, the interior was thick with smoke and flames were pouring out of the dash.

Debra Jones (not her real name) Newmarket, Ontario:
"I managed to pop the hood and we got scared; we thought the vehicle was going to explode. My son Matthew ran into a store and asked if we could borrow their fire extinguisher, but they wouldn't let us, so we called the fire department. They got to us right away but it happened so fast, the van was a write-off.

"The whole van caught fire. It was terrifying - there was so much smoke we couldn't tell where it started. But smoke was mostly pouring out between the windshield and the hood.

The firemen said it was an electrical fire. By the time they put it out, the motor was unrecognizable. The hood was black; all the paint had peeled off. The dash on the driver's side had virtually melted and the flames burnt through the fire wall. The master cylinder had melted, even the battery melted and the windshield had popped out.

It was weird. If you looked at the van from the rear, you couldn't tell anything was wrong.

Mark Jones:
"We had it towed to the dealership where we purchased the van. It just happened [March 29, 2006] so we are still waiting for the adjustor at our insurance company to get back to us. I have no idea what they are going to give us to settle. We are driving a rental in the meantime.

I'm gonna wait and find out what the insurance company says [which is why they wish anonymity for the time being] and then I will do my arguing. These insurance companies are looking for stuff not to do.

I talked to the guy at the dealership and he said electrical fires aren't covered under warranty - they are strictly insurance claims. I said that the van must be defective. The adjustor at my insurance company said 'All cars catch on fire'. I have no idea what he meant. I didn't make any waves 'cause these guys can cut you off for any reason. This is the first car we've ever had that has caught fire. But the tow truck driver said we were the fifth car he had towed this month that had caught on fire!

My wife was pretty shaken up. She and my son were surprised at how fast it went up - it must have been all of 15 minutes. These vehicles should be recalled.