Dodge truck catches fire while family shops; similar complaints reported

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County family’s pickup truck burst into flames while they were shopping. Now, they want to know if the fire is part of a larger problem with Dodge Ram trucks.

Mieesha Kingstro said she parked the 2013 Ram 1500 at an Ikea parking lot, put the key in her purse and went inside shopping.

She and her family later went outside to find their truck destroyed and they want to know why.

“We’re seeing all this smoke and the fire department and we’re, like, ‘What’s going on?’” Kingstro said.

Altanta fire officials could only determine that the fire started in the engine area and was not intentionally set.

That's left Kingstro wondering if this is a problem for other Ram 1500 owners.

“What can Dodge tell us or other people to look for so that things kind of thing doesn’t happen and occur?” Kingstro said.

Channel 2’s Justin Gray contacted the Center for Auto Safety, which told him they have received complaints from two other Dodge Ram 1500 owners about their vehicle catching fire while parked.

Gray also reached out to Dodge, which said there are no open recalls on the 1500 where fire is a factor. Dodge officials sent the following statement:

"Vehicle fires are complex and can be caused by many issues that have nothing to do with the vehicle. Poor maintenance, worn parts and poorly installed or defective aftermarket equipment can all be causes of vehicle fires. We note that this incident was not reported to FCA and involves a higher mileage vehicle with more than 120,000 miles."

Kingstro said they've only ever taken the truck to a Dodge dealer and just had two recalls repaired two weeks before the fire.

“This is just a problem, period, and this is something they should want to address, period,” Kingstro said.

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