Thousands of Cars at Risk of Explosion

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Some 188,000 cars circulating in Costa Rica may be at risk of a similar explosion that killed a family of four recently, the official auto inspection firm RiTeVe warned this week.

Investigating engineers blame the fatal car explosion last Sunday that wiped out a couple and their two young children in a fiery blast near the town of San Ramon. The inspection company estimates that 20% of the 944,000 cars it inspects annually have defective mufflers.

Muffler explosions -- indeed, explosions in car crashes -- are rare except in Hollywood action movies. Still, gasoline is potentially more powerful than dynamite and the danger is always present.

In the case of the fatal accident, engineers theorize that the fatal explosion was caused by a split in the exhaust system some 45 centimeters from the fuel tank. The gasoline, heated by the escape of hot exhaust gases, heated the fuel to boiling. The vapor was ignited, they feel, by a spark.

The tragedy spurred the inspection agency to issue a warning that, if their examination reveals a flaw in the exhaust system, to see to it immediately.

RiTeVe's press release was clear: "Defects such as leaks, corrosion or deterioration that are characterized as minor at the moment of the inspection, in days or months, depending on the circulation of the car, can convert into grave defects that place at risk the safety of people."

The inspectors warned that "minor defects" , including in the exhaust system, are a "call to action" for car owners.