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According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2015, there were 174,000 reported vehicle fires (roughly 477 vehicle fires each day), which resulted in 445 deaths that year and 1,550 injuries. So, are there some vehicles that are more likely to catch fire than others? The answer is- Yes! The website hotcars.com posted a list of the 20 Cars With the Highest Chances of Catching on Fire! The list includes luxury vehicles, like the Mercedes-Benz; older vehicles, such as the Ford Pinto; sports cars, like the Porsche 911 GT3 and SUVs, such as the Subaru Outback.
Arson – According to Statista, in 2015, there were 8,330 motor vehicle fires caused by arson. As you know, arson is a serious criminal act and the punishment varies from state to state. There are several reasons people choose to commit arson, including covering up a theft, insurance fraud and old-fashioned vandalism.
Car Accidents – Most vehicles have a crumple zone, which is an area that’s designed to absorb the impact of a crash. The crumple zone absorbs the impact around dangerous spots, such as the battery, the engine and the fuel tank. However, if the crash is hard enough, it can result in fluid leaks, heat and smoke, which could create ideal conditions for a fire to ignite.
Design Flaws – Design flaws are mostly the fault of the vehicle manufacturer. However, most of the time, they are usually detected before the problem becomes widespread, in which case a vehicle recall will be issued. There are times, though, when design flaws are overlooked. A design flaw isn’t likely to cause a fire on its own, but they can make the conditions ideal for a fire to start. In 2017, BMW recalled 1.4 million vehicles due to risk of fires under the hood. In April 2018, Audi recalled 1.2 million vehicles because of fire hazards. The website Cars.com features a current list of vehicle recalls, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) allows you to find out if your particular vehicle currently has any recalls.
Fuel Leaks – Fuel leaks can either occur on their own, or they can be caused by things like a hole in the fuel tank, bad fuel lines, damaged fuel injectors, or problems with the fuel pressure regulator, the fuel tank cap or the fuel tank vent hose.
Overheating Engine – An overheating car engine, on its own, isn’t likely to cause a car fire. However, the overheating engine can cause internal fluids, like air conditioning coolant, brake fluid, engine oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid, to rise to extremely high levels and start to leak. These leaks travel on to the exhaust system, and in turn, causes a fire to ignite.
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