NHTSA Complaint #10070463 — 1995 CHEVROLET BLAZER

SOY PROPIETARIO DE UNA BLAZER 95 TRACCION DE DOS RUEDAS, AUTOMATICA. VIVO EN GUATEMALA, CENTRO AMERICA. EL DOMINGO 22 DE JUNIO A ESO DE LAS17:00 HRS, ERA UNA TARDE LLUVIOSA Y TRANSITABA POR LA AUTOPISTA INTERAMERICANA AIA (LA QUE ATRAVIESA AMERICA) EN DIRECCION A LA CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA, A UNA VELOCIDAD APROXIMADA DE 80 KMS/H (50 MILES/H) CUANDO AL TOMAR UNA CURVA FACIL Y ABIERTA PERDI LA DIRECCION DEL TIMON COMO SI EL CARRO ESTUVIERA FLOTANDO, EL CARRO EMPEZO A RIGAR COMO UN TROMPO, EN EL SENTIDO DE LAS AGUJAS DEL RELOJ, SE SALIO DE LA CARRETERA DEL LADO DERECHO, SE VOLCO SOBRE EL COSTADO DERECHO Y SE ARRASTRO 10 MTS EN ESA POSICION. VIAJABA CON MI ESPOSA, UNA EMPLEADA Y MIS TRES HIJOS (8 A?OS, 4 A?OS Y 9MESES) AFORTUNADAMENTE SOLO HUBO GOLPES Y DOLORES DE CUELLO. ON SUNDAY, JUNE 22, AT 5:00 P.M., THERE WAS AN AFTERNOON RAIN AND I WAS TRAVELING ON THE TRANSAMERICA HIGHWAY AIA (WHICH CROSSES AMERICA) GOING TOWARDS GUATEMALA CITY, AT APPROXIMATELY 80 KILOMETERS/HOUR (50 MILES/H). WHEN TAKING A GENTLE AND OPEN CURVE, I LOST CONTROL OF THE WHEEL, AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS FLOATING. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPIN LIKE A TOP, CLOCKWISE, AND WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. IT TURNED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND SLID FOR 10 METERS IN THIS POSITION. I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY WIFE, AN EMPLOYEE, AND MY THREE CHILDREN (8 YEARS, 4 YEARS, AND 9 MONTHS). FORTUNATELY, WE ONLY SUFFERED BRUISES AND NECK PAINS. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AWARE THAT THE BLAZER IS AN EXTREMELY UNSTABLE VEHICLE; I'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE BRAKE PEDAL INEXPLICABLY GOING TO THE FLOOR; AND THAT THE ALTERNATOR OF THESE VEHICLES GOES OUT BEFORE 40,000 KILOMETERS. MY THEORY OF THE ACCIDENT: A DANGEROUS AND UNSTABLE VEHICLE ENCOUNTERS ALL OF THE NECESSARY ELEMENTS: WATER ON THE PAVEMENT, AND SMALL CURVE, AND A SPEED THAT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT TOLERATE, PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLE'S INSTABILITY.