Man escapes car fire while driving, warns others about potentially deadly risk with recalls
The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
So, what can you do? Brooks says, don’t wait for letters in the mail. Register with the manufacturer and they will send you email or text alerts. Also, check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website for recalls. You can put in your license plate number, VIN, or year, make and model.
By Amy Hudak
August 25, 2025
A Westmoreland County man says he only had seconds to escape from his car when it caught fire while he was driving.
Daniel McAdams says it was a typical drive to his local Walmart to pick up a few things.
“It was actually Mother’s Day,” Daniel McAdams tells Channel 11. “I was going to get flowers for my wife. I started smelling this strange smell. I said ‘Something don’t smell right,’ so I started coming back home.”
McAdams says as he crested the hill to his driveway, his car started to fill with smoke.
“It was like a really thick fog,” McAdams said. “You could barely see. I could barely see out of the windshield – it was that heavy.”
McAdams says he got out as fast as he could and grabbed his garden hose.
“I popped the hood, saw the flames coming from back behind the engine and that’s when we started dousing it,” he added.
McAdams says an insurance adjuster deemed the car a total loss. Then he called Kia.
“A fire inspector came out,” McAdams said. “I was supposed to get a copy of the report – I haven’t to date, so I don’t know what caused the fire.”
Click here to view the full story from WPXI Channel 11 News, via Yahoo News.