NHTSA Complaint #10273715 — 1995 CADILLAC DEVILLE

I WENT TO START MY CAR (1995 CADILLAC CONCOURSE) AND BEFORE THE ENGINE TURNED-OVER, I HEARD A VERY LOUD POP, SIMILAR TO A BACK FIRE, EXCEPT THAT THIS NOISE CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. I THEN, SIMULTANEOUSLY, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER NEATH THE CLOSED HOOD. I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND THAT THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. I RAN BACK INSIDE THE HOUSE TO GET WATER AND WET TOWELS TO TRY AND PUT OUT THE FIRE, WHICH, AFTER ABOUT 5 TO 6 MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE ENGINE HAD NEVER CAUGHT ON FIRE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. DAMAGED TO THE ENGINE FROM THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL IN TERMS OF WIRES, HOSES, VARIOUS PLASTIC COVERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENGINE. BECAUSE I AM NOT A MECHANIC, I CAN'T SAY WHAT KIND OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING THE FIRE. AS A RESULT OF THIS FIRE, I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY VEHICLE SINCE 5/7/09. THE ONLY WAY I HAVE BEEN GETTING TO AND FROM WORK IS WITH THE GENEROSITY OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I CALLED GENERAL MOTORS ON 8 MAY 09, TO INFORM THEM OF THE FIRE, BUT, AS OF 6/13/09, GENERAL MOTORS HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES THAT WAS UNDER A RECALL FOR POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRES. THE RECALL ITEM IS CALLED A FUEL RAIL. *TR