NHTSA Complaint #10319252 — 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

ON 10/21/2009 AS I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM PICKING MY SON UP FROM SCHOOL, MY 1999 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT CAUGHT ON FIRE. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE CAR STARTED TO HESITATE LIKE A SPARK PLUG HAD FOULED OUT AND THE SMOKE STARTED COMING THROUGH THE VENTS INSIDE THE CAR AND THE CAR CUT OFF. I COASTED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD INTO A MANS YARD JUST IN TIME FOR US TO GET OUT WHEN FLAMES BECAME VISIBLE. WE GRABBED OUR THINGS AND RAN, I CALLED 911 AND SOME MAN STOPPED AND GOT THE HOOD RAISED HE HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT IT WASN'T DOING MUCH GOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED PUT THE FIRE OUT AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THE CAR WAS IN GREAT SHAPE AND WE HAD HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH IT BEFORE THAT I HAD SMELLED SOMETHING THAT SMELLED LIKE BURNING OIL AND MY HUSBAND WAS GOING TO LOOK AT IT WHEN HE GOT HOME FROM WORK BECAUSE HE IS A MECHANIC BUT I HAD NOT EVER HAD ANY ISSUES LIKE THIS BEFORE. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I SAW MY NEIGHBOR AND SAW THE CAR HE ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND I EXPLAINED AND HE ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY RECALLS ON THE CAR AND I TOLD HIM I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICES. THAT IS WHEN I CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR FIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WELL I CALLED GM AND THEY WERE SHOCKED THAT MY CAR HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THEY HAD ME CONTACT A DEPARTMENT CALLED THE ESIS DEPARTMENT THEY TOLD ME THE "TIME BARRED FROM A CLAIM WITH GENERAL MOTORS" AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. SO I HAVE GONE FROM HAVING A PERFECTLY GOOD CAR TO NOT HAVING A CAR AT ALL. I DID HOWEVER RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE FROM GM ON FEB 5, 2010. ALOT OF GOOD THAT DID ME SEEING THAT MY CAR IS TOTALLY RUINED. OH YES AND THE WOMAN I SPOKE TO AT GM ESIS DEPARTMENTS NAME WAS DEBBIE ROACH. SO IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW I CAN GET HELP WITH THIS PLEASE POST SOMETHING. *TR