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Laura
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2002
12:22:42

Subject: Cought on Fire while driving!!!
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ON Fri May 17 2002 our 2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab (roughly 39,000 miles) cought on fire while we were driving on the freeway. Of course just shortly after the warrenty went off. Luckily no one was hurt and we were able to get the fire put out before too much damage. So far the word ( from the dealer) is it was a wire in the starter shorting out but an investigator for Dodge Corp is looking at it today and our insurance company is still sending out and ivestigator. We had been having a problem with the radio popping on and off 2 1/2 months ago while still under warrenty. We took it back being told nothing was wrong. Well the radio popped this time and smoke and fire appeared. The locks being auto of course didn't work and my daughter (6) was in the back seat. The locks were hard to find in all the smoke and weren't easy to unlock manually. It took my husband and myself 30-45 extra seconds to get her out while the people who stopped put out the fire. 30-45 seconds doesn't seem long until you asthmatic child is gagging and choking in thick smoke.

I hope this is an isolated occurance. But if it isn't I would like to know. In the mean time everyone carry a fire extiquisher you might not need it but the person behind or infront of you on the road may.






Todd Bouton
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2002
12:35:53

RE: Cought on Fire while driving!!!
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Thanks for sharing.

Glad you and your daughter are allright.



JMII
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2002
13:26:12

RE: Cought on Fire while driving!!!
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YIKES!

Just as an FYI the Quad Cabs come from the factory with the child saftey locks turned ON! This means you can NOT, I repeat... can NOT open the back doors from inside the truck, they must be opened from the outside.

So, the 1st thing I did after taking delivery (yesterday :) ) was turn those things off. Now I do not have kids, but feel this "safety" feature is just plain crazy. If had people in the back of my QC and we went into canal/lake (heaven forbid!) they would be TRAPPED back there. Just a word of warning to those that did not read the manual ;)

- John



laura
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2002
13:56:21

RE: Caught on Fire while driving!!!
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Yes, we knew that the child safety locks were on. We never thought about turning them off. On my car they are off but she gets out on her own. It's closer to the ground. We were afraid she would fall out of the truck if she tried to get out of it on her own. We never in a million years thought about a fire. They will be turned off when we get it back. It wasn't a total loss. So it will be fixed hopefully without this happening again.



laura
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2002
14:00:59

RE: Cought on Fire while driving!!!
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Forgot to say Thanks for sharing the info in the manual. You are right most people don't read it. We should be able to set the child safety locks ourselves. Dodge shouldn't decide everyone needs it on.



Demon-Xanth
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2002
15:12:15

RE: Cought on Fire while driving!!!
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They set it on as a convinience to a large portion of buyers, they're not forcing you to have them on.



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