lantash

Hi everyone.

Hi everyone. Long time lurker, first time poster here.

I have a 2015 IS350 non-Fsport with luxury package. Yesterday morning, sometime during a 4 mile drive from my house to a gas station, a small fire ignited in my car’s engine bay. Didn’t even realize there was that serious a problem until I got to the station. I saw white smoke coming from under the hood and opened the hood to investigate. There were small flames coming from under the firewall behind the engine. Helpful attendant was able to put it out with a fire extinguisher. Luckily no body damage was visible at all. Warm vents, smoke smell, and a piece of audio control trim lifted up on the driver’s side were the only interior items I noticed immediately after the fire was put out.

The car was towed to the dealer and I got word today that 2 separate technicians and a service manager were unable to find a cause of the fire. They suspect that it was caused by road debris kicked up onto a hot surface where it ignited. Their assessment, 4-5k worth of replacement work is needed.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Not sure if I need to get a second opinion since the dealer just had my car less than 2 months ago to replace the heater box for some squeaking in the air vents.

Thanks

E46CT

Post some pics. I'm sure some Lexus engineers from Japan will want to look into this.

It is possible too that something got thrown up on the exhaust piping

RocketG35

Sorry to hear...that's horrible. Would insurance cover something like this?

brendanf

What about an oil leak onto an exhaust manifold...

Honestly, since your in the US, I'd speak with the NHTSA, if you alert them, they may force Lexus to investigate and fix your car..

dbs600

How did the dealer leave off with you.

Are they going to cover under goodwill or will you have to file an insurance claim?

shadowman

iTrader: (2)

Engine fires are scary!

If they rule it as non-defective, I would have your insurance company hire a 3rd party mechanic to inspect it again. If you have full coverage and lexus stated it was caused by road debris, it should be covered under your Full Coverage.

CLUM

i completely agree! the heater box in most cars is usually tucked up under the dash and that sounds like where the fire was. So i'd get a 2nd unbiased opinion, maybe from a 3rd party. The dealer may be trying to deflect responsibility if it's really the fault of previous work done by them.

lantash

I've made a claim with my insurance company and they are sending an adjuster to determine the cost of repairs. They have also hired a fire investigator to try and figure out how the fire started. Hopefully there should be some news next week. I'll update when I get any more information.

E46CT

yeah insurance will always cover damage to your car no matter how it's caused (except intentional)

if they feel another party is responsible, they'll just make a claim against that party whether it's the city, lexus, etc.