Can a Car Catch Fire While the Engine is Off? (insurance, auto)
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I let a neighbor park her 1996 Accura Integra in my unused attached carport. Lately I've begun wondering if an auto can catch fire while sitting. She never leaves it idling but I just wonder about the electrical system shorting out or the engine just spontaneously erupting into flames. She's a good neighbor and needs the extra space, but if there are any dangers or chances that my fire insurance wouldn't cover any damage, I'd have to ask her to move it. Is such a thing, though unlikely, still possible? I goggled the title and can find nothing. Thanks for any help.
I watched it happen once about 15 years ago. If I recollect the car had been parked there for the better half of the day, all of a sudden I looked out the window and it was smoking out the windows then it quickly turned into a full blaze.
About a month ago a colleague sent around pictures of her relatives brand new Subaru Forester which caught fire in their driveway. Apparently the owner had just gotten home with the kids, parked the car and went inside and the car caught ablaze shortly there after.
How could it happen? I'd like to be able to explain it to her when I ask her to move the car just so there's no hard feelings.
Operator error combined with improperly installed wiring. If you are looking for a full report on how this sort of thing happens you will not find anything definitive.
Personally I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it. Its probably not going to catch fire. And honestly if I was borrowing someones car port and they came up and tried to convince me that my car might catch on fire and damage their property.... well, I would think they were a nut case and probably never ask them for anything again.
Operator error combined with improperly installed wiring. If you are looking for a full report on how this sort of thing happens you will not find anything definitive.
Personally I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it. Its probably not going to catch fire. And honestly if I was borrowing someones car port and they came up and tried to convince me that my car might catch on fire and damage their property.... well, I would think they were a nut case and probably never ask them for anything again.
Agreed. It would just sound like you're taking your offer back and coming up with some insane reason to do so. Nothing wrong with taking your car port back, but if that's your intent then do it honestly.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thrillobyte
How could it happen? I'd like to be able to explain it to her when I ask her to move the car just so there's no hard feelings.
That's an infinitesimally small likelihood but I'm sure you're right that your insurance would be loathe to cover it. If it's really bugging you and the possibility isn't actually a herring to get her car out of your carport, you could ask her to disconnect the battery.
Like others said, totally possible, but highly improbable. I wouldn't let it concern me, it can happen to any car anytime. As others said, using that as a reason really seems like you are more or less looking for an excuse to end the arrangement.
Well, here's the latest skinny, and by the way thanks to all for your excellent and friendly responses to this thorny issue: I talked to the insurance co about the matter and they said it's not so much the car catching fire as it is having to assume liability for the car if it is vandalized or if someone should be injured getting into it while it's running, or if the carport should collapse or any one of an infinite number of possible scenarios. Bottom line: ins. co advised me to ask her to not park there anymore.
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