NHTSA Complaint #10070973 — 2000 GMC JIMMY

MY TRUCK LOST POWER AND STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ON THE AFTERNOON OF 9-19-03. IT WAS EVENTUALLY TOWED TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG AND THAT IT RAN FINE. I WAS NOT CONVINCED. ON 9-22-03 IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRUCK NEEDED A NEW CATALITIC CONVERTER AND WAS DRIVEN IN. I PICKED IT UP THREE DAYS LATER. THE NEXT DAY THE SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRUCK'S COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. HOWEVER THE MAIN COMPUTER WAS DOWN AND AS SUCH WERE NOT ABLE TO SERVICE IT AT THAT TIME. I WAS ASKED TO RETURN FOR REPROGRAMMING. THE SERVICE LIGHT CAME BACK ON ON THE EVENING OF THE 30TH. I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BRING IT IN TO THE SHOP UNTIL THIS WEEK AND IN THE MEANWHILE I WAS NOT DRIVING IT ALL THAT MUCH. THIS PAST WEEK END THE SERVICE LIGHT CAME BACK ON ON SATURDAY. SUNDAY NIGHT (10-5-03) WHILE DRIVING HOME THE TRUCK LOST POWER AGAIN (MUCH LIKE BACK ON 9-19-03)AND STOPPED RUNNING WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. I PROCEEDED TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON BUT JUST MADE A RATTLING NOISE AND THEN I HEARD A POP. ABOUT THREE-FIVE MINUTES AFTER MY ATTEMPT TO TURN IT ON I SMELLED AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE FRONT HOOD. I MANAGED TO GET MY DOG AND MYSELF OUT. IN LESS THAN THREE MINUTES THAT WE GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK IT WAS UP IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND CAME TO TAKE OUT THE FIRE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME MY TRUCK WAS DESTROYED.