NHTSA Complaint #10537466 — 2001 GMC YUKON XL DENALI

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH WHEN I BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST OIL SPILLED ON EXHAUST SYSTEM. THEN THE SMOKE GOT WORSE AND HAD A TERRIBLE ODOR. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE CENTER CONSOLE AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM AROUND THE EDGES AND THE ASH TRAY AREA. I STARTED LOOKING FOR A PULLOFF AS I WAS ON A COUNTRY ROAD. AS I FOUND ONE FIRE STARTED COMING UP THROUGH THE GAPS. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT I HAD A FIRE THAT WAS GOING TO DESTROY THE VEHICLE. SO, ONCE I WAS STOPPED I LOOKED FOR MY FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT COULDN'T FIND IT AND THEN I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD BOTTLED WATER IN THE VEHICLE. I GRABBED 4 OF THEM AND WENT BACK TO THE DRIVERS SIDE AND BEGAN TO POUR WATER DOWN THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE CONSOLE THAT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY THE FIRE MELTING IT. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT QUICKLY. I THEN PUT ON GLOVES AND REMOVED THE TOP PART OF THE CONSOLE THAT HAD BEEN MOSTLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. IN LOOKING INTO THE BOTTOM IT APPEARS THAT SMALL BITS OF PAPER, RECEIPTS, ETC. HAD FALLEN DOWN ONTO THE WIRING HARNESS BELOW. MY GUESS IS THAT SINCE I HAD PLUGGED MY XM RADIO INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER IT HAD HEATED UP THE WIRES WHICH HAD HEATED UP THE PAPERS UNTIL THEY BEGAN TO BURN. I CONSIDER THIS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE CONSOLE, THE CAUSE BEING THE CRACKS IN THE CONSOLE/ASH TRAY WHICH WOULD ALLOW PAPER OBJECTS TO FALL ONTO THE WIRING HARNESS BELOW AND CAUSE A FIRE. THE FIRE MELTED ABOUT SIX INCHES OF INSULATION OFF THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE WIRES TOUCHING EACH OTHER RESULTED IN FUSES BEING BLOWN. THE VEHICLE IS STILL DRIVABLE BUT AS OF THIS WRITING DOES NOT HAVE OVERHEAD LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTING AVAILABLE & THEIR IS AN INTERMITTENT IGNITION ISSUE. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A REPLACEMENT WIRING HARNESS BUT SUSPECT THAT WHEN I DO IT WILL COST AN ARM AND A LEG. I AM TRYING TO REPAIR THE WIRING BY REINSULATING EACH WIRE AND THEN RE-BUNDLING THEM. *TR