Robert Brown|Video shows Nissan SUV catch on fire in family's driveway; carmaker is investigating

A Nissan SUV burst into flames and Robert Brownburned out of control in a Maryland driveway before firefighters arrived, startling a family awake and sending them running from their home.

Vicki and Philip Hill of Bethesda told USA TODAY on Friday that their 2015 Nissan Murano caught fire around 5:30 a.m. on May 14 as they and their three children slept.

Doorbell footage shows the Murano smoking under the hood before catching fire and causing the vehicle's airbags to explode, waking up the Hills and their three kids, 5-year-old twins and a 7-year-old.

"I thought someone was trying to break into the house with a sledgehammer," Vicki told USA TODAY. "Luckily for us, our next door neighbor's dog woke her up early, I think, because he must have smelled smoke. She went to take him outside, saw that our car was on fire and called 911 about four minutes before I did."

While scary, fire could have been much worse

The family considers themselves lucky that the SUV was parked outside facing the street, rather than the garage, which is next to a gas line. If the car had been in the garage, they're sure the home would have exploded.

The family was in the process of finishing the garage so they could park their vehicles in it but things have been delayed, so that's why they parked the SUV in the driveway, Vicki said.

Now, she said they will likely never park cars in the garage again.

Family forced to pay for their own rental after vehicle fire 

Vicki has a Mercedes Benz that was parked near the Nissan Murano. It's undrivable at the moment, she said.

"The entire right side of that is damaged," she said. "All the wheels are damaged and the fire was so hot ... parts of the driveway are damaged and the garage door."

The family is using a rental car and had wanted Nissan to get them one but the company initially declined, the Hills said. The company eventually offered them a loaner on Friday afternoon but it wouldn't be ready until Monday or Tuesday, Vicki said.

Nissan has opened an investigation into the incident, the company told USA TODAY in a statement Friday.

"A technician has visited the Hills’ home and conducted an initial inspection before having the vehicle moved," Nissan said. "We believe it was subject to a recall but cannot make any further comment on this specific incident until the investigation is completed.”

The Hills said they were originally told it'd take Nissan between six and eight weeks to assess the wreckage in the driveway.

After the family spoke to local TV station FOX 5 DC, Nissan told them there would be an investigator in the area that could come and assess the situation. The investigator took a look at the vehicle Wednesday and got it taken away and stored elsewhere, the Hills told USA TODAY.   

Vehicle has a history of recalls

Since 2015, there have been numerous recalls for the Murano. 

Three of the recalls involve fires, including the most recent one filed on Nov. 8, 2019. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a fluid leak on the anti-lock braking systems (ABS) pump can result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire in the SUVs.

Philip said back in 2016, there was a recall for a pump on the Nissan Murano. He took it to a service center to have it worked on.

When the fire department came out for the most recent incident, they mentioned the recalls but the Hills aren't sure what caused the fire.

"It could've been the recall or it could've been another issue with the vehicle," she said. "We're not going to know until Nissan concludes their investigation."

The family bought the car new and it only had 62,000 miles on it, the Hills said. Because of the damage to both their cars, they fear they will soon be responsible for two car payments.

Children are traumatized by vehicle fire

No one was hurt physically due to the fire but the Hills said their children aren't sleeping and were really scared.

"They're terrified every time they hear sirens. They cry," Vicki told USA TODAY. "We finally got this rental vehicle. They're afraid to get in it. They're worried at night that the other car is going to catch on fire now."

Vicki said she will never let her kids park in the garage when they're old enough to drive, citing the fire's psychological impact, which she said is being prolonged by the still-visible damage.

"We want to get our house and driveway fixed so the kids aren't looking at it all the time and reminded," she said. "You can still smell it out there even though the car's gone."

As of Friday afternoon, the family is waiting to hear from Nissan. After an investigator came out on Wednesday, the company said they'd be in touch within two weeks.

"We are waiting to see what happens with the investigation," Philip said. "What would be great to hear is 'We'd like to help you out with a loaner vehicle.'"

"The fact that it happened at all is very alarming but the bigger thing is the way that the company has handled it," Vicki said. "If they acted like they cared at all could have made a difference to us, I think."

They said they wanted to share their story so other families know how this could impact them.

"These things don't happen," Philip said. "They're not common. People need to be aware."

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].