NHTSA Complaint #10435695 — 1999 CHEVROLET LUMINA

GM SAFETY RECALL COMPLAINT: I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY DROVE ABOUT HALF A BLOCK AND SMELLED SMOKE; RETURNED HOME, PARKED AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RAISED HOOD AND FOUND ENGINE OWN FIRE IN SMALL FLAMES. I PROCEEDED TO POUR A SMALL BUCKET OF WATER ON THE FIRE AND IT WENT OUT. COINCIDENTALLY, I HAD JUST RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 09047 FROM GM THE SAME DAY, STATING THAT THE CAR COULD CATCH FIRE STARTING WITH THE SPARK PLUG WIRES CHANNEL AND BEYOND. I CONTACTED THE CLOSEST DEALER ROBBINS CHEVROLET AND WHO TOLD ME TO CALL GM BECAUSE THE CAR HAD ALREADY CAUGHT ON FIRE. I PROCEEDED TO CONTACT GM WHERE I RECEIVED CLAIM NUMBER 71-100-902-8310 AND WAS THEN TOLD IT WOULD TAKE 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THEY COULD GET BACK TO ME AND LET ME KNOW IF THEY WOULD EVEN PAY FOR SERVING OR EVEN AUTHORIZE A DEALER TO CHECK THE VEHICLE FOR CAUSE. THIS IS MY ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE LACK OF CONCERN FOR ME AS A CUSTOMER OR WHY GETTING THE VEHICLE CHECKED BASED ON THE RECALL WOULD BE IN QUESTION. MY COMPLAINT IS THE LACK OF CONCERN AND EXTREMELY LONG TIME FRAME INVOLVED IN GETTING AUTHORIZATION TO GET MY VEHICLE FIXED BASED ON THE SAFETY RECALL. THE RECALL LETTER STATES "IF YOU NOTICE A BURNING ODOR, YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR GM DEALER INSPECT YOUR VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY."I FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURE ONLY TO BE TOLD POLICY DICTATES THEY HAVE 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE LETTING ME KNOW IF THEY ARE EVEN WILLING TO HAVE THE DEALER CHECK THE VEHICLE. AND WHILE THIS MAY BE POLICY, 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS IS A LONG TIME WHEN YOU HAVE GO TO WORK AND THIS IS YOUR ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. I AM DISAPPOINTED IN GM'S HANDLING OF THIS SITUATION AND I FEEL THE INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION ARE BEING HANDLED POORLY. *TR