NHTSA Complaint #10521920 — 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

AFTER TEN MINUTE DRIVE FROM WORK TO HOME, PARKED THE CAR & 5 MIN. LATER WAS INFORMED BY A NEIGHBOR THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE! I DID NOT SMELL BURNING OR ANYTHING UNUSUAL WHEN I PARKED IT. THE FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF THE AIR INTAKE ON THE HOOD AND BURNING PLASTIC WAS DRIPPING OFF BELOW. MY SMALL FIRE EXTINGUISHER SETTLED DOWN THE FLAMES, HOWEVER BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE FIRE AND SMOKE HAD BECOME LARGER THAN BEFORE. THE CAR IS NOW TOTALED AND ALTHOUGH I HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR A EARLIER RECALL, AND TAKEN THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER, I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR THE FIRE ISSUE. THE REPRESENTATIVE AT GM CLAIMS DIVISION SAID SINCE THE CAR WAS MORE THAN TEN YEARS OLD (DESPITE THE FACT I BOUGHT IT FROM THE PONTIAC DEALER MORE RECENTLY) I HAD NO RECOURSE. AFTER VERY LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND THIS SAME SCENARIO ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND ASSUME IT WILL ONLY BECOME MORE COMMON AS THESE CARS CONTINUE TO AGE. HOPEFULLY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WILL EMERGE AS THOSE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR INVESTMENT IN THEIR VEHICLE CONTINUE TO GROW. *TR