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Model X catches fire for no reason

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imthiazah

Member
Dec 14, 2017
57
18
San Jose
#1
Tesla Model X spontaneously caught fire for no apparent reason

I came across this article and feel paranoid about parking my model X in my garage. I have a room above the garage and it scares me of anything were to happen. I have heard of the S catching fire for no reason but not the X. I understand they have the same battery pack chemistry but I was just delaying that thought though it was always in the back of my mind.

What about folks here? Do you feel comfortable parking your tesla in a garage?
 
#4
Car fires happen all the time and presumably most of them are totally unexpected. One shut down a freeway here in metro Phoenix a couple days ago. They happen so often that one traffic reporter calls them Carbeques. But they typically involve ICE vehicles so there is little or nothing written about them. If you worry about parking an ICE vehicle in your garage, then you might have a reason to also worry about parking a Tesla there. Of course there is probably a much greater chance that lightning will strike your house and burn it down. :)
 
#6
You'll note that the car was being towed to a repair shop and doesn't say why.
The other one it mentions the car was also at a repair shop.

So, don't worry, it's not going to harm _your_ garage. ;)

But more seriously, something happening after they've been taken to a repair shop shouldn't be called spontaneous.
 
#8
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Reactions: X Fan, Eclectic and Objective1
#9
imthiazah said:
...Do you feel comfortable parking your tesla in a garage?
Click to expand...

Yes. Since 2012 with 3 different Tesla cars so far.

Tesla's fire is rare but it does happen.

If you are worried, make sure you have a fire alarm in your garage such as:

https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-Batter...d+smoke+alarm&qid=1555694903&s=gateway&sr=8-4

You can spend more on automatic fire extinguisher:


Buckeye 80250 Mini-Guard Fire Extinguisher Vertical Mount ABC 2.5 lb.


https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Fight-Products-SS30-90-CAG-Small-Format/dp/B00ECJ0ICK

https://www.amazon.com/Haven-Heat-Activated-Extinguisher-Worry-Free-Industrial/dp/B01CUJGML4
 
#10
imthiazah said:
Tesla Model X spontaneously caught fire for no apparent reason

I came across this article and feel paranoid about parking my model X in my garage. I have a room above the garage and it scares me of anything were to happen. I have heard of the S catching fire for no reason but not the X. I understand they have the same battery pack chemistry but I was just delaying that thought though it was always in the back of my mind.

What about folks here? Do you feel comfortable parking your tesla in a garage?
Click to expand...

Has your Tesla been crashed? That was the cause of the fire in the article you cited. I would not park a wrecked Tesla in my garage. Any event that compromises the battery is highly dangerous, just like any event that compromises the fuel tank on an ICE vehicle. I submit both situations are the same.

I park my X in my garage, right next to my motorhome that has 55 gallons of gasoline and 12 gallons of propane on board. Both are connected to power while in the garage. Neither have been wrecked.

IOW, other than establishing a reasonably safe environment for your vehicles, don't worry about it.
 
#11
There are, on average, 786 ICE car fires per day, and 480 deaths per year:
NFPA report - Vehicle fire trends and patterns

Yet folks read sensationalist, inaccurate headlines about one Tesla fire and get worried - or your well meaning (or jealous) friends question the 'danger' of your electric car. Tesla fires are not statistically significant but are fodder for the news: folks (sheep) eat this baloney up. Don't fall prey to this nonsense. I suspect you never gave a second thought about parking your ICE car in the garage, or driving that fire bomb ICE car. For me, when 'friends' mention this media hype, this is an opportunity to educate about just how incredibly dangerous ICE cars are - and how silly people are about logically evaluating risk in today's social media world.

We are driving the absolute safest technology on the planet. Anybody who thinks a battery is more dangerous than 20 gallons of explosive fuel is living in la-la land.
 
Last edited:
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#15
imthiazah said:
Tesla Model X spontaneously caught fire for no apparent reason

I came across this article and feel paranoid about parking my model X in my garage. I have a room above the garage and it scares me of anything were to happen. I have heard of the S catching fire for no reason but not the X. I understand they have the same battery pack chemistry but I was just delaying that thought though it was always in the back of my mind.

What about folks here? Do you feel comfortable parking your tesla in a garage?
Click to expand...
Going up three or so layers to the original story when the X was destroyed in a garage fire:
Garage Erupts In Flames In Fox Chapel, Owner Rescues 2 Dogs
Officials have not yet said what sparked the fire.
Click to expand...
Which was referenced as
Firefighters say the vehicle caught fire in February in a garage in Fox Chapel.
Click to expand...
Which then morphed into:
In a peculiar story, a Model X in Pittsburgh caught fire while it was in the midst of being transported to a repair shop. Adding yet another layer of curiosity to the saga, KDKA-TV reveals that the same Model X previously caught fire back in February while it was just sitting idly in a garage.
Click to expand...

Back to the original story:
According to the police chief, the owner opened his garage this morning to find the structure fully engulfed in flames.
Click to expand...
No first hard report of the car catching fire, or causing the fire. Only that is was on fire, along with the other car in the garage and the garage itself...
 
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#17
Fire or crash damage to a battery pack can cause it to catch fire, even days after the event. As can improper handling of the vehicle, like jacking it up in the wrong place. These things can not be described as spontaneously catching fire. There is simply a delay between the event and the vehicle catching fire.

I have seen nothing to suggest the Model X was the cause of the original fire, and as the Model X pack likely sustained fire damage, it's not unusual for it to catch fire again at a later point in time. So in my opinion, there's nothing to suggest a fault with the Model X in the events described. It is expected behaviour.

I park my X in my garage - and my wife and I sleep in the bedroom above the garage. Not worried.

(A Tesla fire will be much less intense than an ICE vehicle fire, as the ICE vehicle stores much more energy. The Tesla battery pack also contains multiple firewalls, slowing down the progression of a fire, unlike a gas tank that can dump it's entire contents onto the garage floor. The slow progression of an eventual fire means that you will generally have plenty of time to evacuate the area. I have five networked fire alarms and I'm confident I would wake up quite quickly. They are *loud*.)
 
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#20
Fellsteruk said:
To the person who disagreed with my post, sure you have your right to an opinion but facts are facts

BMW adds 185,000 vehicles to total recall of 925,000 over fire risk

ICE fire are much greater than EV but someone whispers Tesla Fire and it’s news .....
Click to expand...
My 2007 BMW M6 was recalled for fire risk, not even the same one detailed above. The 12V battery was located in the trunk spare wheel well and the wiring passed through the body on its way to the engine in front. The insulation at the point where it passed through the body (ground) was insufficient and could be damaged over time, sparking a fire.

Li-Ion batteries store a great deal of energy, as does gasoline in an ICE or even the wood that your house is constructed from (and that the wiring in your house is likely stapled to). That Model X didn't catch fire for no reason, they just don't know the reason yet. Any electrical device, be it battery or wall powered is at risk of catching fire if shorted or damaged.

I have absolutely no concern storing any of my Li-Ion powered vehicles and tools or my old Audi TT in my garage.
 
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