NHTSA Complaint #10596957 — 2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

FOLLOWING A HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER EDUCATION EVENT, MY 2007 CORVETTE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH) ON A 2-LANE COUNTY ROAD, WITH THE FIRE ORIGINATING IN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE PASSENGER REAR (RIGHT REAR) WHEEL WELL. AS SOON AS I WAS AWARE OF THE FIRE, I STOPPED THE CAR, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, AND OBSERVED THE FIRE ON THE TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION AND GEARBOX FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. I OBTAINED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BY DEPLOYING THE CONTENTS BENEATH THE CAR ON THE AREA OF VISIBLE FLAME. I WAS UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE UNDER THE FIRST ATTEMPT AND I BEGAN TO REMOVE THE REAR CARPETING FROM THE VEHICLE IN THE REAR HATCH AND TRUNK AREA AS THE CARPET HAD BEGAN TO SMOLDER. A SECOND FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS BROUGHT TO THE SCENE AND THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT. THE FIRE HAD CONSUMED A 2" X 6" SECTION OF THE HATCH (TRUNK) FLOOR, WHICH HAD MELTED ONTO THE REAR EXHAUST PIPE. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED HOME AND PUT UP ON JACK STANDS, IT APPEARS THAT THE CHARCOAL CANISTER AND SECTIONS OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM WERE CONSUMED IN THE FIRE. IT IS INCONCLUSIVE IN MY OBSERVATION IF THESE COMPONENTS WERE CAUSAL TO THE FIRE OR MERELY CONSUMED IN THE FLAMES. MUCH OF THE REAR WIRING SURROUNDING THE DIFFERENTIAL AND TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THERE ARE ALSO VISIBLE REMNANTS OF LIQUID "DRIPS" ON THE RIGHT REAR EXHAUST PIPE TRAVELLING OVER THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BUT NO CONCLUSIVE SOURCE OF THE LIQUID WAS FOUND. I WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT THIS FAILURE WAS NOT SYSTEMIC TO THE VEHICLE DESIGN OR MANUFACTURER SO THAT OTHER OWNERS MAY BE PROTECTED FROM SIMILAR FAILURES. *TR