NHTSA Complaint #10537189 — 2000 CHEVROLET BLAZER

FORTUNATELY, I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE FREEWAY AND WAS LOOKING FOR AN ADDRESS AT A SLOW SPEED. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR LURCHED; I HAD NO STEERING; I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL CONTROL; THE CAR GROUND TO A HALT; SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I AND A FRIEND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. FORTUITOUSLY, FIRE TRUCKS APPEARED. IT TURNED OUT THEY WERE RETURNING FROM ANOTHER INCIDENT AS I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE IMMEDIACY OF THEIR RESPONSE. THEY TOOK OVER PREVENTING FURTHER AGGRAVATION OF THIS SITUATION. THE BATTERY WAS BOILING. ALL THE ELECTRICAL WIRE HARNESSES WERE MELTED. THE UPPER SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM WAS BROKEN. THE FIREMEN'S OBSERVATION WAS, IF I HAD BEEN GOING ANY FASTER, THE CAR COULD HAVE FLIPPED. AFTER BEING TOWED TO A NEARBY MECHANIC, I LEARNED THE UPPER CONTROL ARM HAD BROKEN. IT IMPAILED THE STARTER WHICH SHORTED. THAT MELTED THE WIRING HARNESSES TO AND FROM THE BATTERY, AS WELL AS BEING THE CAUSE OF THE BATTERY BOILING. THE KEY ISSUE IS THAT GENERAL MOTORS WOULD BUILD A VEHICLE WHERE THE UPPER CONTROL ARM IS SO FLIMSY IT WOULD BREAK. I HAVE READ OTHER INCIDENTS OF THE SAME THING WITH THE CHEVROLET BLAZER WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, A PERSON WAS GOING 30MPH, THE CAR FLIPPED, AND THE PERSON WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS. A REPEATED CORPORATE FAILURE OF THIS NATURE SHOULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES. *TR