MY WIFE RETURNED FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER RECEIVING AN OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. SHE PARKED THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY AT THE HOUSE AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES MY FAMILY GOT IN THE VEHICLE. I SMELLED A BURNING ODOR WHILE WALKING TO THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE CRANKED THE VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A FIRE BURNING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WE GOT THE FAMILY OUT OF THE CAR AND I GRABBED A WATER HOSE AND PUT THE FLAMES OUT. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES I NOTICED THAT SMOKE WAS AGAIN COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I DISCONNECTED THE CABLE FROM THE POSITIVE TERMINAL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE SMOKED STOPPED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE BATTERY CABLE CAUGHT FIRE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE ELECTRICAL LOAD OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT THE REPLACEMENT CABLE WAS MUCH THICKER AND MORE INSULATED. THESE CABLES NEED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THERE IS A LOSS OF LIFE. *TR
2011
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AROUND MAY 11, 2012, ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE, ACCELERATING TO 65 MPH, MY CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD REPETITIVE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER A FEW MILES, A BATTERY SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO STEER. AS I REACHED A PULLOVER, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND EVERYTHING ELSE QUIT WORKING (RADIO, LIGHTS, ETC.) I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND COULD NOT TURN IT BACK ON. WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED, WE FOUND THE BELT WAS SHREDDED AND DRAGGED BEHIND THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WATER PUMP. THE CAR WAS ABOUT 11 MOS OLD AND HAD ABOUT 11,000 MILES ON IT. ON JUNE 2, 2013, DEJA VU. AS I LEFT A STORE AND ACCELERATED TO 45 MPH, MY CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD REPETITIVE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. AS I ACCELERATED, THE NOISES WERE LOUDER AND FASTER. I DROVE ABOUT 5 MILES TO WALMART, THE NOISES CONTINUED, SO I DROVE HOME, ABOUT 5 MILES. IN THE MORNING, I DROVE THE CAR VERY SLOWLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE BELT WAS SHREDDING AGAIN, AND AS I DROVE MORE SLOWLY, THE NOISE (FROM THE PIECES OF THE BELT SLAPPING AROUND THE ENGINE) BECAME LESS AND I HOPED I COULD MAKE THE BELT LAST UNTIL I GOT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I TURNED LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION NEAR THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR WAS VERY HARD TO STEER AND I COULD BARELY TURN INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DRIVER FOLLOWING ME SAID HE COULD SEE THE SHREDDED BELT DRAGGING. I LEARNED THERE HAD BEEN OTHER CARS ON WHICH THE BELT HAD SHREDDED AND THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN TO PUT A LINING IN TO PROTECT THE BELT FROM DAMAGE, NOT SURE IF THIS HAD BEEN DONE ON MY CAR I LEARNED THERE IS ALSO A RECALL RELATED TO THE WATER PUMP. IN BOTH CASES, I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO BE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, NEAR TRUCKS, OR PASSING ON A COUNTRY ROAD. THIS SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS TO ME. *TR