NHTSA Complaint #10154048 — 2003 GMC ENVOY XL

THE ENGINE ON MY 2003 ENVOY XL CAUGHT FIRE AND THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED BY THE FIRE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER DRIVING UP A ROAD RISING 1500 VERTICAL FEET OVER A DISTANCE OF 3.5 MILES. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON BEFORE SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE CAR ALERTED US TO THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD 36000 MILES ON IT AND HAD RECENTLY HAD ALL THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE COMPLETED INCLUDING OIL CHANGE AND TRANSMISSION AND FUEL SYSTEM FLUSHES. THE ONE ISSUE WHICH THE GMC DEALER HAD BEEN UNABLE TO FIX WAS A LEAK TO THE FRONT PINION SEAL. THE DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND COULD FIND NO PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH A VERY REPUTABLE REPAIR SHOP HAD ALERTED US TO THE PROBLEM WHILE PERFORMING THE OTHER MAINTENANCE AND SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE THE DEALER ADDRESS THE PROBLEM WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO I WAS TOLD BY A SERVICE MANAGER THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO REPLACE THE SEAL BECAUSE IF IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WASTE OF MONEY TO REPLACE THE SEAL. THE FIRE SEEMED TO ORIGINATE FROM A LOCATION A QUARTER OF THE WAY IN FROM THE PASSENGER BUMPER ABOUT AS FAR BACK AS THE TIRE. SINCE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST TWELVE HOURS I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE COULD BE. OUR INSURANCE AGENT'S CLAIMS ADJUSTER WILL BE LOOKING INTO THIS I'M SURE. THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY RECALL RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. WE HAD SEVEN PEOPLE IN THE CAR TODAY INCLUDING 3 CHILDREN AND 2 SENIOR CITIZENS. LUCKILY EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT UNHARMED BUT WE HAD NO WARNING. HAD WE NOT BEEN IN A LOCATION WHERE SOMEONE SAW THE FIRE AND ALERTED US I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIND THE CAUSE AND MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE? *NM