ON JULY 5TH MY FIANCEE AND MY 2 DAUGHTERS WERE DRIVING TO MEET HER AUNT IN NEW JERSEY INTERSTATE 80. WHILE DRIVING MY CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 1997 AT THE NORMAL SPEED LIMIT SHE NOTICED THE VEHICLE SMOKING IN THE FRONT VENTS. AS THE SMOKE PROGRESSED SHE WAS CONCERNED AND WENT TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER, AS SHE DID SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO USE THE BRAKE INITIALLY AND RODE SEVERAL METERS BEFORE THE CAR WOULD COME TO A STOP (OVER ON THE HIGHWAY). AS SHE PULLED OVER SHE SAW THE CAR START TO CATCH FIRE, WHILE DRIVING WITH OUR CHILDREN AGES 2 AND 10 MONTHS IN THE BACK FROM THE GAS LINE SIDE, SHE QUICKLY UNFASTENED THE KIDS AND WAS ABLE TO SINGLE HANDEDLY RESCUE THEM FROM THE VEHICLE AS THE MINIVAN WAS ON FIRE. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT A CAR FROM 1997 MAINTAINED WELL WOULD JUST EXPLODE INTO FLAMES DURING A TRIP WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR WITHOUT BEING HIT. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 5 YEARS. PAID IT OFF EARLY IN MARCH AND COULDN'T FATHOM HOW EASY I COULD'VE LOST MY ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD WITHOUT RECEIVING A WARNING ABOUT THE RECALL. NOW I AM OUT OF A VEHICLE, MY FAMILY IS TRAUMATIZED (I AM SOMEWHAT DISTURBED BECAUSE OF THIS) AND I HAVE TO FIND ALTERNATE MEANS FOR ME TO TRAVEL AND PERFORM BOTH OF MY JOBS PROPERLY. WHY AM I INCONVENIENCED BECAUSE OF THIS OBVIOUSLY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION. I WANT TO BE CONTACTED AND I DEMAND TO KNOW WHETHER YOUR COMPANY WILL SOLVE AND RECTIFY THIS AND ANY OTHER SITUATIONS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED ONLY 2 CARS MY ENTIRE LIFE AND THEY BOTH WERE CHRYSLERS. I AND MY FAMILY ARE TROUBLED, DISTURBED AND LET DOWN THAT THIS OCCURRED. IF I AM NOT CONTACTED IN A TIMELY MANNER, I WILL HAVE TO DO MY OWN CONTACTING. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE TOTALED VEHICLE. *JB
1996
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WITHIN 90 SECONDS VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. TS