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Jeep destroyed after Galaxy Note 7 exploded, customer says

Technically Incorrect: A Florida man claims he was charging his Samsung phone in his Jeep Grand Cherokee when it exploded.

Chris Matyszczyk
2 min read

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.


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Now that is notable damage.

Fox 13 screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

Samsung said last Friday that 35 of its Galaxy Note 7 phones had experienced battery malfunctions and all Note 7s were being recalled, but not everyone may have got the message.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, for example, Fox 13 reports that a man was charging his Note 7 in his Jeep Grand Cherokee on Labor Day when the phone suffered flaming conniptions.

Nathan Dornacher says he left the Note 7 charging in the center console while he and his wife unloaded their car.

As their daughter and dog prepared to get back into the car, the dog noticed that something was amiss.

The Note had allegedly caught fire and the flames were spreading through the car.

Dornacher's souped-up Jeep was soon a smoldering wreck. He posted several pictures of the scene to Facebook.

"It was very surprising to me how quick the dash caught on fire," he told Fox 13.

He said that he'd never have imagined that something as simple as a phone could cause such damage. He said he didn't know about Samsung's recall.

Consumer Reports has criticized Samsung for not working with US authorities in order to make the recall official. This would have made any sale of the Note 7 illegal and may have increased the publicity surrounding the recall.

Dornacher didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Samsung spokeswoman, however, told me: "We are aware of the incident and we are working with Mr. Dornacher to investigate his case and ensure we do everything we can for him."

It will be interesting to see what may (or may not) have happened.

On Facebook, Dornacher confirmed that Samsung was sending out an investigator.

"Yes we had insurance but very minimum and nothing to cover any of the recent work done no ones fault but our own," he said. "We are not and have not asked for anything, we are not getting a lawyer, we will replace in time when we can afford it."

Dornacher told Fox that he switched from Apple when the first Notes came out.

"I don't think I'm going to let another Samsung product in my house," he said.

This isn't the first case this week of a customer saying that a Note 7 had exploded and damaged property. In Australia, a man said he had his Note charging by his hotel bed when it combusted. The damage to the hotel was said to be $1,400.

Such incidents have come at the worst possible time for Samsung, as the company released the Note 7 ahead of Wednesday's iPhone 7 launch.

As it replaces all Note 7s, Samsung has to hope that there are no more reports of such incidents relating to this extremely well-reviewed and beautifully designed phone.