NHTSA Complaint #10460092 — 2001 CHEVROLET ASTRO

AFTER APPROX. ONE WEEK OF OPER. OF MY 2001 CHEVY ASTRO A FIRE OCCURRED THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTENTS IF I HAD NOT BEEN CLOSE BY. AFTER DRIVING MY VEHICLE FOR APPROX. 20 MILES AND PARKING IT MY VAN CAUGHT FIRE AFTER BEING SHUT OFF FOR 15 MINUTES. THE VEHICLES POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLES WERE RUN FROM THE BATTERY TO THE ENGINE DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE STEERING LINKAGE WHERE IT PASSES THE ENGINE SUPPORT STRUCTURE. IF THE VEHICLE IS JACKED UP TO THE POINT WHERE THE TIRE IS STILL TOUCHING THE GROUND AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED HALF WAY TO THE LEFT THE PASSENGER SIDE INNER TIE ROD END IS RUBBING INTO THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLES WHICH ARE IN A COMMON HARNESS.IF THE SUSPENSION IS MOVING UP AND DOWN ON A BUMPY ROAD WHILE THE WHEEL IS TURNED TO THE LEFT DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE STEERING LINKAGE AND THE BATTERY CABLES WILL CAUSE REPEATED DAMAGE OVER TIME RESULTING IN AN EVENTUAL FIRE.IF THIS FIRE OCCURRED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED LAST NIGHT WHILE MY VAN WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE THE 7 PEOPLE INCLUDING TWO SMALL CHILDREN LIVING HERE COULD HAVE DIED FROM FIRE CAUSED BY VERY POOR ENGINEERING. IF YOU CAN JACK UP A VEHICLE AND CAUSE A MOVABLE PART OF THE VEHICLES SUSPENSION OR STEERING TO COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE THE VEHICLES ENGINEERS WERE NEGLIGENT. ALSO HAVING BOTH BATTERY CABLES IN THE SAME HARNESS IS NOT A VERY GOOD IDEA EITHER MY VEHICLE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR HAD ANY MAJOR REPAIR WORK DONE. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL. IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A REPORTED DEATH FROM THIS ISSUE YET IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. MY FIRST VEHICLE WAS A GM AND I SUSPECT MY LAST WILL BE, BUT GM HAS TO ANSWER FOR THIS ACT OF STUPIDITY. I HAVE PICTURES I CAN EMAIL THAT SHOW JUST HOW OBVIOUS THIS FLAW IS. *TR