NHTSA Complaint #10171419 — 2001 OLDSMOBILE AURORA

OUR 2001 OLDSMOBILE AURORA WAS BROUGHT IN SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS BECAUSE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT KEPT GOING ON. EACH TIME THEY SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS RELATED TO THE "SECONDARY AIR INJECTION PUMP". TWO NIGHTS AGO WE CAME HOME AND PARKED OUR CAR IN OUR GARAGE, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO OUR HOUSE. A COUPLE HOURS LATER WE WERE AWOKE BY A SMELL, WHICH FINALLY LED US TO OUR GARAGE. WE OPENED THE DOOR TO OUR GARAGE AND IT WAS FULL OF SMOKE! WE HEARD A HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR, AND OPENED THE HOOD. FLAMES WERE COMING UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, WHERE THE PUMP WAS LOCATED. MY WIFE AND I PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND DOSED THE ENGINE WITH WATER, AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THEY SAID WE WERE LUCKY WE CAUGHT IT WHEN WE DID AND PUSHED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE. IF WE WEREN'T AWAKE, OUR HOUSE COULD HAVE BEEN ENGULFED, AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! WHEN WE WENT BACK TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, THE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS A "KNOWN" PROBLEM, BY THEM AND OLDSMOBILE/GM!! WE CAN NO LONGER TRUST THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING IN FIXING THIS PROBLEM AND DO NOT THINK THE VEHICLE IS SAFE! CAN YOU HELP US AND WHAT SHOULD WE DO? *NM