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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsMy Garmin (unattached) just blew up in the back seat of my car.
I am literally shaking. Half of the back seat is gone. The windows are blackened from the soot. My insurance company is sending a tow truck to move my car out of the driveway to the front of the house so we can get our other car out of the garage.
How can a Garmin blow up?
I'm just grateful that neither of us was in the car driving when this happened. We might have been killed!
I do think the car (Nissan Versa) is totaled. I loved that car.
Our insurance company was very helpful over the phone. I started to cry and they were calm and reassuring.
This was a close one. I was going to go get a manicure but changed my mind at the last minute since I am still feeling punk from bronchitis. Very close call, that...
Ilsa
(61,698 posts)Five and a half years old. Stays in my glove box, mostly. I guess it's the battery?
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)Ron Obvious
(6,261 posts)It's the only way to be sure.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)His truck.
Freedomofspeech
(4,227 posts)Thank goodness no one was in the car when this happened.
eppur_se_muova
(36,289 posts)You might want to look up that brand of battery, and see if it has a bad record, like the infamous Samsung phones.
Hokie
(4,288 posts)My guess is something failed and caused the battery to short out. I would contact Garmin. They would want to know about this. Garmin is a reputable company. I am on my third GPS from Garmin.
herding cats
(19,567 posts)Maybe yours was one of the ones effected by that issue?
Heres the link if you know your model to check.
https://my.garmin.com/rma/recallLanding.faces?zebratwo=CJ
louis-t
(23,297 posts)I've had this one for a long time.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)So it was indeed old.
Once the insurance adjuster comes out and inspects the damage I can look for a another car.
Maybe I'll get another Versa. Really nice car. Best car I ever had.
herding cats
(19,567 posts)At least all that was damaged was property and its insured.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)I am getting a clue it has to do with gps? but since we have an older without gps, no need to worry?
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)So you didn't have to be distracted by looking at a map. It would "tell" you where to turn, how many feet you needed to go, etc.
I didn't like it much because to me it was difficult to program and I'm not techie at all. So my auto mechanic unassembled it and I didn't know quite what to do with it so I just left it on the back seat.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)will share the info, just in case.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)I think if your car as an on board GPS, it would be OK.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)I just use my phone. I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I know how it is to be attached to your car.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)One thing I get with Google Maps that I never got with the Garmin was is warnings of backups on the Interstate, when there is a nasty accident. It helps to be able to go around them, especially in a place where you're not familiar enough with the back roads to avoid the accident scene.
Interesting that a Garmin could blow up like that, I've never heard of it happening before.
Rhiannon12866
(206,013 posts)But Google maps on my phone hasn't steered me wrong yet - and it even auto corrects if I make an unexpected turn.
And I didn't know these things blew up, either! It's a good heads up for the rest of us, but poor CTyankee!
crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)I really liked it. Very basic and entry level car. I just bought a car (used Legacy) but I miss the simplicity of the Versa.
ekelly
(421 posts)First was a 2011 Versa hatchback. Amazing how much stuff you can put in that car! Helped my son move twice and it was great. I gave it to him in 2016 and bought a new version, the Versa Note.
They are great cars.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)I'll update when I hear from the insurance company adjuster.
Tess49
(1,580 posts)Not on the list, thank goodness.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)elfin
(6,262 posts)it was a gift, so need to look up its model etc. Do not need this to happen at all. EGADS!
elleng
(131,107 posts)How CAN such a thing blow up?
HAPPY you're OK.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)But our insurance company is handling it so we're ok. They might take action against Garmin, but what do I know about insurance...
MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)Wonder if Garmin has a history of this kind of thing? Hope you get a new Versa...with an on board GPS.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)it in early 2016. I liked the model, the ride, the style, the color, everything except the seat belts (hard to get on).
MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)We have a Garmin GPS that hangs out in my husband's truck. He uses it when he hunts. I'm not sure where it should live now, given your experience. Yikes.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Codeine
(25,586 posts)Exploding with sufficient force to damage the car seats is something Id never consider from a consumer electronic. Glad youre okay!
irisblue
(33,023 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)It started right up and the lights went on (it's dark now here).
So it's not totaled but jeez.
Insurance company adjuster coming Feb. 1 to assess.
I don't know what to do.
irisblue
(33,023 posts)You've had a bitch of a day. You don't have to do any thing else to do tonight, right.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Thank you. We get through these things.
regnaD kciN
(26,045 posts)...knowing that they're in use in so many of our home/auto/whatever devices. Imagine if a turned-off laptop, tablet, or digital camera were to blow with that much force.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)The thought of him and my grandson being at risk scared me. So he said he was going out immediately to do so.
Please tell anyone you know who might have a Garmin to just get rid of the damn thing. This is just not worth it.
Response to regnaD kciN (Reply #30)
Rainbow Droid This message was self-deleted by its author.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)I guess that would be a very bad thing and could damage one's body...I will try not even to think about it...
Response to CTyankee (Reply #37)
Rainbow Droid This message was self-deleted by its author.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,895 posts)a GPS was a complete and total loss of any map-reading ability.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Of course, it's difficult to drive and read those directions at the same time, which is why the whole GPS thing came into existence.
I remember those directions: "Turn right out of your driveway. Go one block to Maple Street and turn left..."
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,895 posts)I'll look it up on a map, usually google maps, and then print out my own directions.
They'll say things like: S on I25 to Hatch cutoff. I10 W to E Valencia Road. W on E Valencia to S Ignacio.
And I actually use an arrow rather than the word to. I'm fairly visual, and since I've looked at a map, I rarely go wrong.
Last October I missed the exit I needed precisely because I hadn't taken another good look at the map, depending on my (apparently faulty) memory to recall the correct exit, since I'd gone to that place several times before.
I keep on having experiences with people who depend totally on their GPS and then keep on circling a block because the GPS system doesn't handle parking lots very well.
LuckyCharms
(17,458 posts)That's scary stuff.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)LuckyCharms
(17,458 posts)I vape, and I'm always worried my device is going to blow up in my pocket.
pansypoo53219
(20,995 posts)Kilgore
(1,733 posts)Hybrids and electric cars are major users of lithium batteries. If one of those packs runs away, its fukashima on the freeway. A quick Google search brings up example videos.
Lithium ion batteries are very energy dense and if they develop an internal short, or thermally run away, all that energy dumps and the result is a explosion and fire. Here is a UL video of the batteries in a consumer product induced to run awzy.
And a laptop
And a Prius
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Last edited Sat Jan 27, 2018, 09:58 AM - Edit history (1)
Hell, take pics and send them to your local news.
Or better yet, Jeff Rossen at NBC.
He does a lot of consumer safety stories, and people should be warned.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)I think they will probably go after that company bigly.
irisblue
(33,023 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)shopping. My car is in the front of my house and the insurance claims adjuster is coming on Thursday to look at it. Since it started last night my worst scenario didn't play out, thank god. I'm hoping the claims guy can give me some guidance here.
Now I'm thinking about a lawsuit against Garmin. They have to know about all the cases of the lithiom battery.
There are all these injury lawyers with ads on TV. But I'd have to find an injury lawyer. At the very least they should be forced to pay the deductible but I might have a shot at being put at physical risk by their product.
Folks here at DU were great yesterday and gave me valuable information.
Thank you, DU!
samnsara
(17,635 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)That's just a guess.
I'm wondering if a dashcam is the same thing as a GPS?
Skittles
(153,193 posts)CTyankee
(63,912 posts)My guess is that the Garmin company now has a fund to head off consumer's threats to sue.
My son is an attorney. He might know altho he is not in that area of the law.
Skittles
(153,193 posts)seriously
yes, certainly there needs to be followup on this!
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)system, you are lucky.
get the red out
(13,468 posts)I am glad no one was hurt.
trueblue2007
(17,238 posts)Soooooooooooooooo very glad you are okay !!!
Pat
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)Thank you for checking in with me!
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Its not peculiar to Garmin units. There is a statistical risk of this occurring with any Li-ion battery powered device.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)not the litium batteries. It is my understanding that this is the difference. So this is why it the more modern GPS's don't explode, or at least I never heard of it. But this is my understanding of the issue.
Orrex
(63,224 posts)Yikes! Glad you're okay!