Prius's spontaneously catching on fire?

You can get wireless combination CO and smoke detectors too.

 

Just to update.
Fire is more than likely to be found undetermined.
Though it says I'm a new member, I've been on this site since 2012.
I can tell you this, I did not post here for any other reason than to say, I call bullshit that it's a myth that these things can catch on fire. My car was plugged in and the charge had probably completed by 11pm. At 1230a, a neighbor of mine caught on his camera (someone i didn't know before and what I've found out, a well respected fireman) caught my car going up in flames. Unfortunately he lost the video. He watches a small flame go from the charger to the other side of the car and the car goes up in a large burst of flames within 30 seconds. He doesnt see anyone around the car. This is his words, not mine.
I could careless what other members here believe or don't believe and I'm not here prove or disprove what happened. The facts are, my car burned to a crisp. I woke up to my wife calling out, to call 911. I fought the fire for 10 minutes myself with 12 foot flames. I was able to get the fire in the front of the car to go out, but i could not get the fire to go out in the back. The Engine compartment was hardly even burnt. It was a very hot fire and I'm glad I was home to try and put it out until the fire department came or I would have lost the whole house.
I must say i loved my Prius Plug in and quite honestly would replace it with another in a heartbeat. Im just saying that as far as thinking it blew up on its own, i feel very positive, but no, i have no video or eyewitness other than my neighbor seeing it on a video.

 

Wow that's crazy. Incredible the gas tank didn't get involved.
When did this happen?

Is Toyota involved in the investigation?

Glad no one got hurt.

 

fire department, insurance, toyota. everyone will be involved. these things don't happen in a vacuum.

 

Wow, that's insane! I can't believe Toyota isn't all over this. I'm sorry I cast any doubt on you. That's incredible destruction. Did the battery burn? That would be a very big deal. I park this car in a garage I sleep over. You should have Toyota look at this. Remember how much bad PR the Chevy Volt got over spontaneous combustion?

 

I had just filled the tank completely full earlier in the day, I also a had put brand new tires on it about 5 hours earlier. Hence the one tire that you can see in the back of car.
The fire department took 10 minutes from the start of the fire until they arrived. We know this because of the video.
I have reported this to Toyota, i can't tell you what they have done or not done, but i can tell you they were invited to come to my house where the car was parked for 8 days for my insurance company to investigate. They never showed. They have asked for pictures witch i have provide. I have a video my wife took about 2 minutes after the fire department showing up. It shows the gas tank starting to leak and fire staying on top of the water. They eventually had to use foam to put out fire.
I know thru my insurance that they are investigating it and have a fire guy that is directly involved. I know that the city has had an investigation and their Arson people look into it, they have also interviewed witness to the fire and done all their testing. I believe they will come back with a rule of undetermined. This is normal, when there are no eyewitnesses i believe. As of right now and this is only my interpretation, is that they believe also it is electrical because how hot the fire burned. It was not a normal small fire and got big with orange flames, it was very very hot. It also has been reported to NHTSA.
Anyway, there really isn't anything i can do and it will be what the experts decide.
At the time it seemed big to me as i was fighting a fire to save my Prius, my garage and my 3 vehicles inside (which were also damaged) and not to mention all my work tools. I am grateful and appreciative that there wasn't more damage and no one got hurt. I was suppose to take off to the east coast that morning. Had i left, I'm sure i would have lost the house not to mention my daughter that would have been home. Someone was looking after me.
Like I've said before, i loved my car and am truly thinking about buying a new plug in. At this point, i doesn't matter how it started, my chances of another one starting on fire, i would imagine is pretty slim.
Rebound, ill accept your apology. I'm not someone trying to get something for nothing or accusing Toyota of anything malicious. Ive owned Toyotas all my life and they have in the past been very, very good to me. I look forward to owning another one

 

I'm shocked that Toyota didn't investigate. I assume it's too late? I would have told them to send an investigator or you'd call an investigative reporter. Electric car batteries spontaneously catching fire is a big deal.

 

i don't want to sound like I'm taking it likely. Im not.
It has been reported to my insurance company, to the NHTSA and i have called Toyota myself. They will eventually send someone over to where the car is parked I'm sure because the insurance company is going after them and I'm sure when NHTSA talks to them, they will want to investigate themselves.
As for me, i'm pissed that the car would have been paid for in 6 months and i probably would have kept it another 10 years without a car payment. The car ran incredible and up to this point, i had no problem with it.
I am also smart enough to know that if i were Toyota, i wouldn't admit to anything, as that will open a very big can of worms. I'm sure between the NHTSA and my insurance company, Toyota will go over eventually to where the car is parked.
In the meantime. Im still trying to get my house in order, my other cars fixed, a garage door on my garage and get the fire damage back to where i was before.
Im also trying to not be bitter because in the whole scheme of life,nobody died. i probably won't post back for a while, but i promise to update this site once everything is determined. Thank you for everyone for the well wishes and hope everyone has a good 2017

 

Yeah but if there's a defect, what if it happens again, and a whole family dies? Toyota is negligent. They need to investigate this and take it seriously.

 

generally speaking, the insurance company goes after any possible causes. it is unlikely that toyota won't try to disprove any hint that the prius is the cause, for precedent sake.

cars burn all the time, you buy your ticket and take your chances. nhtsa won't do anything until enough people have died.

 

The Chevy Volt was recalled after it was learned that the car can catch fire four to six hours after it is hit from the side, puncturing the battery case, and then rolled over. This car caught fire under normal usage; that's far more serious.

 

Could it have been a charger issue? An L2 Charger failure would be disastrous and I expect there are cheaply designed ones in the marketplace.

 

that's my point. lots of cars catch fire under normal usage, not just accidents.

check out NFPA statistics, it's actually pretty frightening, when you think about all the cars in attached garages.
we had a recall on our last hycam because leaking coolant could drip on some wires that could catch fire, and another one where the window switches on the driver door could catch fire.

 

I seriously doubt. First, you can see he had the stock charger. And it only burned where attached to the vehicle. Those devices are very simple and there's multiple current protection upstream in the cable, away from the car.

They should interview the guys at the tire shop that serviced his car four hours earlier.

 

The reason I mentioned the charger was this part of the video description.

i didn't know before and what I've found out, a well respected fireman) caught my car going up in flames. Unfortunately he lost the video. He watches a small flame go from the charger to the other side of the car and the car goes up in a large burst of flames within 30 seconds.

 

yes, it would be interesting to find out what made the car go up in a large burst of flames in 30 seconds.
or how the flame traveled from the charger to the other side of the car.

 

Very well put Jeff. You sound like a very smart guy and great attitude in that no one got hurt and the rest is just stuff. Incredible situation.
Blows my mind Toyota is not crawling over the car. My takeaway given what the neighbor witnessed is it may have started with the charger.

One question.....as you were fighting the fire was the hybrid battery area
The most intense part of the fire or had the whole car gone up in flames by that time?

 

It may have been the charger inside the car, (which is the actual charger), but not the cable which is plugged in, as it's barely harmed. I studied up on the EVSE technology and it's basically an extension cord. Really, just 110V. So, what can happen? It can short. But that causes a failure at the supply side, not where the current is delivered. And there are two circuit breakers -- one inside the EVSE, and one in the home's circuit breaker panel.

 

Since there is a circuit breaker inside the EVSE I assumed there were some active electrical or electronic components to protect.