My 3500 caught on fire today!

[N8LHG]

Seems this is becoming a regular occurrence with the Dodge Diesel, and I’m getting upset at Chrysler at their total lack of care. After calling them about the “issue”, they claim they have never run across this problem before, and it must be isolated. While it seems my insurance is going to cover most of the damage, it makes no sense to me why with so many on the registry bbs experiencing this problem, that they would claim “isolated issue” in my case.

My $40,000 3500 could have burned to the ground in my own driveway, and I couldn’t do anything about it!

This morning, after starting my truck, I noticed a low pitched sound, almost like a vacuum cleaner starting up under my hood. Not knowing what that may be, I turned the key off. As others having this problem have stated, the truck kept running. No matter what I did, the truck would not stop, the “vacuum cleaner” sound, winding up. Finally, during my panic to try and stop it, smoke starts blowing out of my hood, followed by flames. At that point, the truck stopped running, however, the starter was still cranking away, and my keys were still in my hands. I’m not sure if I was able to save the starter in time or not, but it did quiet down once the batteries were disconnected.

After my wife called the slimes at Nelson’s Auto Group in Marysville Ohio, they told me they would “look into it if I tow it in at my expense, and pay them $150”. These are the same clowns that said, while my truck was under warranty, that I would have to pay $80, not refundable, up front for them to “look” and see if the return line fuel leak was covered under warranty.

Upset as she was, she refused to submit to their verbal gouge secretions, and called the Chrysler headquarters. In short, they claim they are going to send out a “team” to inspect and assist us with the repairs (my guess is its to take pictures in case we sue). This only after being told that we had seen this “issue” talked about by many folks on the turbo diesel registry web site, and the fact that my entire family could have very well been burned alive if my wife would have had the truck that day without me around, nor tools to break the battery connections.

I would like to hear from you folks who have had the same problems, and what has been done, if anything to fix it by Chrysler/Dodge. Seems to me, this is a SERIOUS issue which warrants a long overdue RECALL.

HELP!

P.S. Ford is looking better all the time!