NHTSA complaint #11650733

Owner complaint summary

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Altima. The contact stated her son was driving on the highway at 70 MPH, when an abnormal smell of garbage was followed by smoke being emitted from a hole in the rear side of the front passenger seat. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was an occupant seated in the front passenger seat when there was a burning sensation was felt. The contact's son immediately pulled over onto the side of the road to exit the vehicle, where the contact then proceeded to extinguish the fire with a beverage. The contact mentioned her jacket and a pillow case caught on fire during the incident. A fire department report was not filed. A police department report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the wiring on the passenger seat was of probable cause for the failure, and that the passenger seat would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.