NHTSA complaint #11389192

Owner complaint summary

AS I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND SHUT DOWN. UNABLE TO START THE CAR AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS IT FINALLY STARTED AGAIN, WENT A FEW MORE FEET AND THEN COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF AGAIN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM THE FRONT AND THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GAS. A PEDESTRIAN CAME OVER AND TOLD ME NOT TO ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR AGAIN BECAUSE THERE WAS GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH ME AT THE TIME AND SO WE ALL HAD TO HOP OUT IN A PANIC AND I WENT INSIDE A NEARBY COFFEE SHOP TO CALL THE POLICE, INSURANCE CO AND A TOWING SERVICE. AS I MENTIONED THE CAR WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, WHICH WAS A DANGER TO DRIVERS PASSING BY AND TO MYSELF, ALL I COULD SEE WAS GASOLINE POURING OUT OF THE CAR. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP SERVICE, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CLAMP FROM THE FUEL LINE SOMEHOW CAME OFF AND THIS WAS "A ONE IN A MILLION CHANCE OF HAPPENING TO ANYONE". THEY OFFERED ME NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS OCCURRED AND OFFERED ME NOTHING TO EASE MY WORRY OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE PURCHASED THIS AS A NEW VEHICLE AND IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. NONETHELESS A CONCERNING ISSUE AS THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE OR EXPLOSION WITH ME AND MY 3 CHILDREN IN THE VAN. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS, PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENTS FO THE DOCUMENTATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP.