A Nissan SUV caught fire and burned out of control in a Maryland driveway before firefighters arrived, waking a family and sending them fleeing their home.
Vicki and Philip Hill of Bethesda told USA TODAY Friday that their 2015 Nissan Murano caught fire around 5:30 a.m. May 14 while they and their three children were sleeping.
Doorbell footage shows the Murano smoking under the hood before catching fire and detonating the vehicle’s airbags, waking the Hills and their three children, 5-year-old twins and a 7-year-old.
“I thought someone was trying to break into the house with a hammer,” Vicki told USA TODAY. “Luckily for us, our next door neighbor’s dog woke her up early, I think, because he must have smelled smoke. She went to take him outside, saw our car was on fire and called 911 about four minutes before me.”
Although scary, the fire could have been much worse
The family considers themselves lucky that the SUV is parked outside, facing the street, rather than in the garage, which is next to a gas line. If the car had been in the garage, they’re sure the house would have exploded.
The family was in the process of finishing the garage so they could park their vehicles there, but things were delayed, which is why they parked the SUV in the driveway, Vicki said.
Now, she said they’ll probably never park cars in the garage again.
Family forced to pay for own rental after vehicle fire
Vicki has a Mercedes Benz parked near the Nissan Murano. It’s impossible to ride at the moment, she said.
“The whole right side is damaged,” she said. “All the wheels are damaged and the fire was so intense… Parts of the driveway are damaged as well as the garage door.”
The family uses a rental car and wanted Nissan to get them one, but the company initially refused, the Hills said. The company finally offered them a loan Friday afternoon, but it wouldn’t be ready until Monday or Tuesday, Vicki said.
Nissan has opened an investigation into the incident, the company told USA TODAY in a statement Friday.
“A technician attended the Hills’ home and performed an initial inspection before moving the vehicle,” Nissan said. “We believe it has been recalled, but we cannot make any further comment on this specific incident until the investigation is complete.”
The Hills said they were initially told it would take Nissan between six and eight weeks to assess the wreck in the driveway.
After the family spoke to local TV station FOX 5 DC, Nissan told them there would be an investigator in the area who could come and assess the situation. The investigator examined the vehicle Wednesday and had it taken away and stored elsewhere, Hills told USA TODAY.
The vehicle has a history of recalls
Since 2015, there have been numerous recalls of the Murano.
Three of the recalls involve fires, the most recent of which occurred on November 8, 2019. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a fluid leak on the anti-lock brake system (ABS) pump can lead to an electrical short, increasing the risk of fire in SUVs.
Philip said that in 2016 there was a recall for a pump on the Nissan Murano. He took it to a service center to have it repaired.
When firefighters were on scene for the most recent incident, they mentioned the recalls, but the Hills aren’t sure what caused the fire.
“It could have been due to the recall or another problem with the vehicle,” she said. “We won’t know until Nissan concludes its investigation.”
The family bought the car new and it only had 62,000 miles, the Hills said. Due to the damage to both of their cars, they fear they will soon be responsible for paying for two cars.
Children traumatized by vehicle fire
No one was physically injured from the fire, but the Hills said their children weren’t sleeping and were really scared.
“They’re terrified every time they hear sirens. They cry,” Vicki told USA TODAY. “We finally got this rental vehicle. They’re afraid to get in it. They’re afraid at night that the other car will catch fire now.”
Vicki said she would never let her children park in the garage when they were old enough to drive, citing the psychological impact of the fire, which she said is lingering because of the damage still visible.
“We want to fix our house and our driveway so the kids don’t look at it all the time and remember it,” she said. “You can still smell it even though the car is gone.”
As of Friday afternoon, the family is waiting for news from Nissan. After an investigator arrived Wednesday, the company said it would contact you within two weeks.
“We’re waiting to see what happens with the investigation,” Philip said. “What would be great to hear is, ‘We’d like to help you with a loaner vehicle.'”
“The fact that this happened is very alarming, but more important is how the company handled the situation,” Vicki said. “If they had acted like they cared, it could have made a difference for us, I think.”
They said they wanted to share their story so other families would know how it might impact them.
“These things don’t happen,” Philip said. “They’re not common. People need to be aware of them.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She’s from Norfolk, Virginia – 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or send him an email atsdmartin@usatoday.com.
News Source : www.usatoday.com
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