NHTSA Complaint #10548167 — 2007 SATURN VUE

MY TRUCK ONLY HAD 60,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING HOME I BEGAN TO NOTICED SOME SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK. BEING ONLY A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE HOUSE I PROCEEDED TO THE STOP SIGN. I WAS GOING TO PARK AND CHECK IT OUT THINKING THAT IT WAS SOMETHING MINOR. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO TURN THE CORNER THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED. WHILE AT THE STOP SIGN THE SMOKE QUICKLY IGNITED INTO FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. TURNED OFF TRUCK, JUMPED OUT AND RAN TO THE SIDE YARD FOR THE HOSE. I YELLED OUT FOR MY WIFE CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SHE CALLED IMMEDIATELY AND I TRIED TO CONTROL THE FIRE UNTIL THE POLICE AND FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED. I WAS AFRAID THAT IT WOULD EXPLODE AND DAMAGE OTHER CARS AROUND IT. THE FIRE SPREAD UNDER THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK, UNDER THE CAR AND QUICKLY INTO THE INTERIOR THOUGH THE DASHBOARD. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE IS PREGNANT AND WE HAD JUST DRIVEN TO HER DOCTORS APPOINTMENT EARLIER THAT DAY IN THE TRUCK AND IT DROVE WELL. THERE WAS NO INDICATOR LIGHT ON TO WARN ME OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE, FUEL OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE HAZARDS. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED WELL. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY MAIL OR EMAIL NOTIFICATION ABOUT RECALLS THAT DISCLOSED A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY I RETRACED MY PATH HOME AND SAW A TRAIL OF FLUID IN THE STREET THAT LEAD TO THE SPOT THAT THE CAR FINALLY ENDED UP IN. SO SOME KIND OF LEAK AND ENGINE FAILURE TOOK PLACE THAT CAUSED THIS AWFUL FIRE.I AM JUST SO GLAD THAT I MADE IT OUT ALIVE AND THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO HER WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING BECAUSE SHE USUALLY DRIVES THIS VEHICLE. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT RECOURSE I HAVE NOW TO DEAL WITH THIS MATTER. *TR