NHTSA Complaint #10509150 — 2008 BUICK LACROSSE

UNDERHOOD FUSE BLOCK CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE MICRO-RELAY #35 MELTING DOWN. HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF AND THE BATTERY STARTED DRAINING. PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND OPENED THE HOOD TO DISCOVER THAT THE #35 MICRO-RELAY WAS ARCING AND HAD MELTED ITSELF TO MICRO-RELAYS #44 WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND #38 AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. BOTH WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND AIR CONDITIONER WAS OFF AT THE TIME. EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE WAS OFF THE RELAY CONTINUED TO ARC AND WAS MELTING THE UNDERHOOD FUSE BLOCK. GRABBED AN INSULATED SET OF PLIERS AND PULLED THE #35 MICRO-RELAY (THE #44 AND #38 RELAY CAME OUT AT THE SAME TIME). ARCING STOPPED WITH THE MICRO-RELAYS REMOVED. I HAVE FILED A PREVIOUS REPORT ON THE #35 HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE MICRO-RELAY, BECAUSE IT HAD TURNED OFF THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AT NIGHT, ON THE HIGHWAY. TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH TO MANUAL-ON DID NOT TURN THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS BACK ON. I HAD THE #35 HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE MICRO-RELAY REPLACED AND IT TOO PROVED TO BE DEFECTIVE. AFTER JUST A FEW MONTHS, IT STARTED TURNING ON THE HEADLIGHTS ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED-OFF. HAD TO HAVE MY VEHICLE JUMP STARTED, REPLACED THE BATTERY, AND REPLACED THE #35 HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE MICRO-RELAY, YET AGAIN. THE 3RD #35 HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE MICRO-RELAY, CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, COSTING ME OVER $700 TO REPAIR. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO FUSE TO PREVENT THE MELT-DOWN OF THE MICRO-RELAYS. THERE IS NO CAUTION, AND NO WARNING IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, TO ADVISE THE USER ABOUT WHAT TO DO IN THE CASE OF THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY GOING OFF. THERE IS NO PROTECTION AGAINST AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BEING CAUSED BY THE #35 HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE MICRO-RELAY, OR ANY OTHER RELAY FROM STARTING AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. *TR