NHTSA Complaint #10007708 — 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE

VAN CAUGHT ON FIRE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR (BY THE GAS TANK) WHILE WE WERE TRAVELLING ABOUT 65 MPH, AT NIGHT TIME, ON A CROWDED FREEWAY. THERE WAS NO WARNING, THE ONLY INDICATION I HAD THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS THAT THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. OTHER PEOPLE ON THE FREEWAY WERE HONKING ETC BECAUSE THEY COULD SEE WHAT I COULD NOT. BY THE TIME I GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH, ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. I GOT IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SMOKE FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE GOT OUT AND RAN. A WRECKER DRIVER PUT OUT MOST OF THE FIRE BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. GOT THERE. I HAD THE VAN PICKED UP AND BROUGHT HOME. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND ASKED THAT THEY COME TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THING. THEY DECLINED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND REFUSED TO SEND ANYONE. I TOOK IT TO AN ELECTRICAL SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED AT THE PLUG IN THE BACK WHERE YOU CAN PLUG IN A TV OR WHATEVER. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS COULDN'T/SHOULDN'T HAPPEN BUT IT DID. I HAVE HAD OTHER ELECTRICAL AS WELL AS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS THING. I BOUGHT IT NEW, NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER DRIVEN IT SO I KNOW THE HISTORY. I HAD THE WIRING REDONE BYPASSING THAT PLUG BUT I NOW HAVE A CHECK ENGINE, PASS KEY & AIRBAG LLIGHTS COMING ON. THE VEHICLE IS TOTALLED TO ME AS BOTH I AND MY KIDS ARE AFRAID TO RIDE IN IT. UNFORTUNATELY I STILL HAVE TO DRIVE IT SOME BECAUSE IT IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE.