NHTSA Complaint #10178691 — 2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA

AFTER NOT BEING USED FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH, I TRIED TO START MY 2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA WITH 114,000 (+/-) MILES. THE CAR DID NOT START. I CONNECTED JUMPER CABLES AND AGAIN TRIED. THE CAR DID NOT TURN OVER. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS AND THEN TRIED AGAIN. WHEN I TURNED THE KEY, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND DISCONNECTED THE CABLES. THE TOP OF THE UPPER INTAKE HAD EXPLODED. THE PLASTIC ENGINE COVER HAD DISCONNECTED AND THE OIL FILLER CAP/TUBE HAD PROJECTED TO THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD. THE TOP OF THE MOTOR, FUEL LINE AND SURROUNDING WIRES/INSULATION WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY SMOTHERING. I CALLED A MECHANIC DIRECTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT AND WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL FOR THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. AFTER VIEWING THE RECALL FOR FOR THE 3.8L (VIN K) FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, THE POTENTIAL SITUATION OF A LOW BATTERY COMBINED WITH THE LEAKING REGULATOR CAUSING A BACKFIRE AND THUS EXPLOSION WAS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. I CONTACTED LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS AND WAS THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE. I THEN CONTACTED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE VIA A PHONE CALL ON DECEMBER 4, 2006. AFTER MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, I WAS REQUESTED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED, AT MY EXPENSE, TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP SO CHEVROLET COULD SENT A REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT. CHEVROLET THEN CALLED ME THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY TO TELL ME THAT THEY FEEL THE LOW BATTERY CAUSED THE EXPLOSION AND THUS, THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. I ASKED FOR A COPY OF THEIR INSPECTION REPORT AND WAS TOLD IT WAS CHEVROLET PROPERTY AND WOULD NOT BE RELEASED. I THEN SEARCHED THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND VEHICLE RECALL BULLETIN 03054-B WHICH MY VIN # IS WITHIN THE RANGE GIVEN FOR 2000 IMPALA. I AGAIN CALLED CHEVROLET WITH THIS INFORMATION AND WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH MY # WAS IN THE RANGE, IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, BUT IN ANY EVENT, THEY HAD INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THEY WERE NOT AT FAULT. THEREFORE, CHEVROLET'S DECISION WOULD NOT BE CHANGED. *NM