The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Eos. The contact stated that while driving, the heater inside the front passenger seat erroneously activated and malfunctioned causing the seat to burn which also caused a burn to the bottom of the front passenger seat. There was a hole on the front passenger side seat and during the incident, it burned through the passenger's undergarments and jeans causing his burn injuries. Medical treatment was not provided due to the injured passenger not being able to sit and was being treated at home. During the incident, a burning odor was present inside the vehicle. The fire department was called to the scene and the electrical wire to the seat was deactivated. The cause of the failure was not determined. A fire report was taken at the scene. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
NHTSA ODI 11422905