| Issue ID | 910251 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10450606 |
| Manufacurer | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION |
| Brand | TOYOTA |
| Model | CAMRY |
| Model Year | 2007 |
| File date | 26/12/11 |
| Component | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | On 12/26/11, i was driving my car along with three passengers and began to see black smoke throughout the car. I determined that the smoke was coming from the driver side master control panel on the door. Shortly thereafter, the smoke immediately turned into flames, which caused poor visibility and complete panic. Luckily, i pulled to the side of the road and had all passengers immediately exit the vehicle. Prior to exiting the vehicle, the flames caught the left side of my arm and started to burn my coat. During this ordeal, i noticed that the front passenger side window immediately dropped unexpectedly. After exiting the vehicle the flames quickly increased and began shooting into the air uncontrollably. On instinct, i decided to leave the car door open facing the street as i was fearful to close the door, which would further exacerbate the fire. My husband was able to retrieve a piece of clothing from the trunk of the car and used it to put out the fire while sustaining a burn on his hand. I immediately called 911 as they dispatched the fire department to the scene. The fire department completely extinguished the fire and indicated that it may have been caused due to electrical problems. Overall, it was a frightening experience for myself and family members as i strongly feel that no one has a clear explanation as to the cause of the fire and fails to ensure my family's safety and well being. I immediately contacted my insurance agent, the dealership and explained the incident in detail along with filing a complaint with toyota motor corporation. This is a significant incident that occurred and further investigation and consideration should be taken. This incident fortunately did not lead to any serious physical injuries, however the emotional trauma and distress caused by the ordeal is long-lasting. Updated 07/24/12 |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 79819 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | HARTFORD, CT |
| VIN pattern | JTNBE46KX73XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | Y |
| Was incedent reported to police? | Y |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 1 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Drive train type | FWD |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 25 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | LYNCH TOYOTA |
| Dealer's telephone number | 860-647-0402 |
| Dealer's city | MANCHESTER |
| Dealer's state code | CT |
| Dealer's ZIP code | 06042 |