NHTSA Complaint #10352526 — 2000 BUICK LESABRE

ON JUNE 25, 2010 APPROX 8:30 PM OUR 2000 BUICK LESABRE WAS SITTING BY OUR HOUSE, NOT RUNNING, NO KEYS IN IT. WE HEARD A HUGE BANG/BACKFIRE. THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED SINCE 4:00 PM. WE SAW A HUGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE AND FIRE AS HIGH AS THE PORCH DECK ROOF. IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. THE HOOD WAS BLOWN APART, THE WINDSHIELD BLOWN IN, REAR VIEW MIRROR & VISORS BLOWN OFF. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED; EVERYTHING ON THE ENGINE MELTED, RADIATOR GONE, TIRES MELTED & TIRE RIMS LOOK LIKE THEY WERE BLOWN OUTWARD. IT WAS A VERY HUGE EXPLOSION & WE DID FIND THE ODI REPORT EA 02-030 FOR RECALLS #03034 & #03054 FOR EXPLOSIONS/FIRES IN THIS BUICK. THE RECALLS FOR OUR VEHICLE WERE COMPLETED AND DONE IN 2005 FOR THE ABOVE ITEMS OF "FUEL REGULATOR CAUSING DEFECTIVE/LEAKING FUEL REG ASM ETC. OR COOLANT CAUSING IMPROPERLY SEAL THROTTLE BODY" THIS VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS A GOOD RUNNING CAR WITH FEW PROBLEMS AND A CAR SHOULD NOT BLOW UP JUST SITTING STILL, SO OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEMS WERE NOT SUFFICIENTLY CORRECTED. THE ONLY EVENT BEFORE THIS WAS THAT WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AT 4:00PM THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK WAS CLICKED AT THE SAME TIME AND WE HEARD A BIG CLUNK KIND OF SOUND. OUR MECHANICS WHO VIEWED THE VEHICLE AND ALL WHO SAW IT NEVER SAW SOMETHING THAT BAD AND ALL SAID THAT WE WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE BEEN KILLED IF WE HAD BEEN IN THE CAR WHEN IT BLEW UP. THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY STILL SITTING IN THE EXACT SPOT WHERE IT BLEW UP AS REQUESTED BY GMC, BUT IT WILL NEED TO BE MOVED BEFORE SNOW PLOWING AS IT IS 6'6" FROM OUR HOUSE STEPS AND IS A HAZARD TO OUR RESIDENCE. WE TOLD GMAC THAT WE WOULD BE REMOVING IT BEFORE AUG. 30TH, HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT INSPECTED IT AS OF YET. OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE INCLUDES MELTED VINYL SIDING ON OUR HOME, DAMAGE TO DECK PAINT, MUCH NEEDING POWER WASHED & DAMAGE TO TAR DRIVEWAY, PLUS SOOT DAMAGE. HAVE MANY PICTURES, IF YOU HAVE E-MAIL ADDRESS. *TR