NHTSA Complaint #10585160 — 2001 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

ON JAN 9, 2014, I WAS PARKED IN MY CAR HAVING LUNCH WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING. FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE, CAUSING THE FUEL LINES TO BURST. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AFTER THAT. THAT EVENING, WHEN I GOT HOME, I HAD A RECALL FROM GM FOR MY VEHICLE IN THE MAIL. (CODE 07035) I CALLED GM THE FOLLOWING DAY, TOLD THEM OF THE INCIDENT AND THEY BECAME MY BEST FRIENDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I TOLD THEM NO ONE WAS INJURED. GM MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND HAD ME TOW (AT MY EXPENSE) MY CAR TO SAM SWOPE AUTO CENTER WHERE IT WAS EVALUATED. AT NO TIME DID SAM SWOPE SAY THE FIRE WASN'T CAUSED BY THE RECALL ISSUE. THE BILL TO REPAIR WAS GOING TO BE $4,700. SAM SWOPE SAID THEY COULD NOT FIX WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM GM. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF GETTING THE RUNAROUND AND BEING ASKED QUESTIONS LIKE, "HOW MANY PONTIACS HAVE YOU OWNED" AND "HOW LOYAL OF A CUSTOMER ARE YOU", THEY DECIDED THE CAR WAS TOO OLD AND HAD TOO MANY MILES TO REPAIR AND STATED THAT GM'S LIABILITY ENDS 4 YRS AFTER PURCHASE, BUT DID OFFER TO FIX THE RECALL. I ASKED WHY IF THEY DIDN'T ASSUME ANY LIABILITY AFTER 4 YRS, WHY SEND A RECALL. THE REP STATED THAT THEY ARE COMPUTER GENERATED. I EXPLAINED THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO SUE ANYONE, I JUST WANTED MY CAR EITHER FIXED OR TOTALED OUT SO I COULD PURCHASE SOMETHING ELSE. BY THE WAY, I'VE OWNED 7 PONTIACS, AND 12 GM CARS TOTAL. I'M 62 YRS OLD. AND, THE CAR WASN'T A WORN OUT PIECE OF JUNK. IT HAD EVERY OPTION GM OFFERED INCLUDING HEADS UP DISPLAY, BOSE SOUND SYSTEM, HEATED 6-WAY SEATS, SUN ROOF AND MORE. THE CAR IS MINT. WHEN I PURCHASED IN 2005, IT HAD 10300 MILES ON IT. I'D BE GLAD TO SUPPLY PHOTOS AS THE BODY WASN'T HURT. THE GM REP ASKED ME IF I HAD FIRE AND THEFT ON THE VEHICLE AND I TOLD HIM NO. IN HIS SARCASTIC VOICE, HE COMMENTED, "WELL, I GUESS YOU SHOULD HAVE. I ALSO HIRED A LAWYER, BUT GM WOULDN'T BUDGE. CAN YOU HELP ME? THIS IS SO WRONG. *TR