NHTSA Complaint #10621820 — 2008 BUICK LACROSSE

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM STORE MY WIFE AND I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING THREE BLOCKS FROM HOME. WE GOT HOME AND I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE RELAY/FUSE BLOCK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS HOT AND SLIGHTLY SMOLDERING. I WAITED A WHILE AND THE POPPED OFF THE FUSE BLOCK COVER AND SAW THE HDM MODULE (ACCORDING TO THE DIAGRAM IN THE MANUAL) HAD MELTED AND FUSED TO THE BLOCK. THE MELTING AND BURNING HAD ALSO AFFECTED THE SURROUNDING RELAYS AND FUSES. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND SCRAPED AWAY THE BURNT, FUSED PORTION OF THE HDM RELAY AND VISUALLY CHECKED THE FUSES WHICH WERE SINGED OR PARTIALLY MELTED AND REPLACED THE BAD ONES. I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO CHECK THE RELAYS WITH. MY WIFE IS ON OXYGEN 24-7 AND HAD A TANK IN THE PASSENGER FRONT WITH HER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WHICH, IF A FIRE HAD SPREAD, COULD HAVE BECOME A CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT. AFTER CLEANING OUT THE BURNT PORTION OF THE FUSE BOX OF CHARRED REMAINS FROM THE HDM MODULE, I RE-CONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLES AND WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK AND SOME GAUGES APPEAR TO BE ERRATIC IN THEIR READINGS ( FUEL TANK AND MILEAGE). I THEN GOT ONLINE AND FOUND MANY 2006 THRU 2011 BUICK'S HAVE REPORTED THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL ( TO MY KNOWLEDGE) HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND POSSIBLY CATASTROPHIC ISSUE INHERENT IN GM AND SPECIFICALLY BUICK PRODUCTS. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE OR RECALL OF ANY KIND. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIRS DONE BY AN AUTHORIZED GM DEALER AND WILL KNOW MORE (HOPEFULLY) IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR