NHTSA Complaint #10510864 — 2013 BUICK LACROSSE

4/6/2013 MY 2013 BUICK LACROSSE 4 CYLINDER MODEL WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. AT 9PM MY HUSBAND WENT OUTSIDE TO GET SOMETHING FROM THE CAR AND SAW THE CAR ON FIRE WITH FLAMES COMING FROM THE BACK END REAR BUMPER. BY THE TIME HE COULD GET A HOSE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, THE BACK BUMPER, THE REAR SIDE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS HAD ALL MELTED FROM THE HEAT. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE BODY SHOP SINCE 4/8/2013 AND NO WORK CAN BE DONE BECAUSE THE SHOP CAN NOT GET A CRITICAL PART FROM GM. THE PART IS THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE EASSIST AND GM DOES NOT HAVE THIS PART IN THEIR PARTS INVENTORY. ON 5/6/2012, I CONTACTED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER CAN ORDER THE PART ONLY NO ONE CAN GIVE A DATE WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. I WAS TOLD IT COULD BE TWO WEEKS OR 6 MONTHS. THE WIRING HARNESS IS WIRED BY HAND AND GM ONLY HAS THE STOCK ON HAND FOR THEIR ASSEMBLY LINE. UNTIL I SAW THE 5/6/2013 ARTICLE ON THE FIRE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MODEL CAR, I HAD THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS ARSON. I NOW BELIEVE THAT I AM DEALING WITH A DEFECTIVE CAR AND NO ONE FROM GM TOLD ME OF A RECALL. I FOUND THE ARTICLE AS A RESULT OF A WEB SEARCH. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAR FOR ONE MONTH AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS TRIED TO WORK WITH THE DEALER TO GET DEFINITIVE INFORMATION ON WHEN PART CAN BE AVAILABLE. THE DEALER HAS TO INSTALL THE WIRING HARNESS PRIOR TO THE BODY SHOP DOING ANY WORK. NOW BASED ON ITS RECALL, I SUSPECT THAT THIS IS THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. TOO COINCIDENTAL!..UPDATED 05/08/13 *BF UPDATED 05/15/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY ARSON. UPDATED 05/29/2013*JS *TR