According to the National Fire Protection Association, cars can catch on fire for many reasons, but most commonly due to mechanical or electrical issues.1 A fire can also be the result of a crash. In 2003-2007, U.S. fire departments reported an average of 287,000 vehicle fires per year.2 These fires caused one death per day on average.
One of the causes of vehicle fires are design flaws in the placement of fuel systems. These flaws usually are not the sole reason for combustion, but the design lends itself to igniting, fueling, or making it more difficult to extinguish a fire. Most manufacturers will recall component parts or vehicles that prove to have problems or flaws with respect to design.
Another cause of these fires is a car owner’s lack of maintenance. Again, it is hardly the sole reason of ignition, but “broken parts, leaky seals, or faulty wiring can make the care more hospitable to the conditions that cause a fire.”3 Leaking fluids can be fuel for a fire, and frayed wire can spark and make contact with flammable materials.
Cars are designed to allow the sheet metal of the car to absorb the impact of a crash to avoid the engagement of the engine, battery and gas tank. Even with all of the designs that are meant to protect in the event of a crash, cars still leak fluids and usually have smoke and heat associated with the collision. These two are not always visually apparent from the inside of the vehicle, so the NFPA urges drivers to get out of the car and to the farthest safe spot away from the vehicle until authorities arrive.
The top cause of vehicle fires is rotted fuel lines that leak gasoline or diesel onto hot engine parts. Gasoline at a temperature of 45 degrees or above can catch fire from a simple spark.4
Electrical system failures are the second most common cause of car fires in America.6 “The battery’s charging cycles can cause explosive hydrogen gas to build up in the engine bay, and the electrical current the battery provides can produce sparks that can quickly ignite a fluid drip or leaked vapors.”5 The engine compartment is not the only place you will find electrical wiring. It can be found in the doors, under carpet, and through power heated seats. All of these wiring locations could potentially cause a fire.
Battery powered cars are more susceptible to fires due to debris hitting the undercarriage of the car. Most of the fires in electric cars are due to leaking coolant coming in contact with a damaged battery resulting in ignition.6 No manufacturer has solved the problem of such fires, but new technology is debuted annually that attempts to address such issues.
A clogged or overworked catalytic converter can also be the cause of a fire. If the rest of the car is not operating cleanly, those particles can end up in the exhaust. If the catalytic converter has to work harder to burn off more exhaust pollutants, it can raise in heat to temperatures up to two thousand degrees, far past its normal operating temperature.
Overheating engines can cause the fluids within it to boil out of their designated areas and cause fires.7 Mechanical attention should be given to any car that overheats on a repetitive basis.
It is only when the design of the vehicle’s fuel system in and of itself presents an unreasonable risk of fire that you have a potential product liability case against the manufacturer of your vehicle that. Please consult with an attorney to investigate your options.
NFPA has put together a helpful guide regarding what to do in the event of a car fire as well as some tips on how to avoid problems that lead to these fires.
Written by:
Lyndsey Mott
Approved by Francisco Guerra, IV
Watts Guerra, LLP
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 3, Suite 100
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Office (210) 447-0500
© Watts Guerra LLP 2015
1 http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/vehicle-fires/highway-vehicle-fires
2http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/vehicle-fires/vehicle-fire-trends-and-patterns
3 http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/10-causes-of-car-fires.htm#page=10
4 Id.
5 Id.
6 Id.
7 Id.
