NHTSA Complaint #10658981 — 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 A.M. WHILE MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STANDING ROCK SIOUX RESERVATION MY 2006 TRAILBLAZER EXT CAUGHT ON FIRE. WE BOTH SMELLED SMOKE, PARKED (DIDN'T TURN OFF THE IGNITION) AND FLAMES BEGAN TO SHOOT OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WE GOT OUT AND RAN TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AS THE FIRE ENGULFED THE ENTIRE FRONT MOTOR AREA. MY PURSE WAS STILL IN THE BURNING VEHICLE AND I TOLD MY HUSBAND HE RAN BACK TO THE BURNING VEHICLE TO RETRIEVE IT. HE SUSTAINED BURNS TO HIS HANDS, FACE, LEGS AND FEET. IN ADDITION HE RECEIVED SMOKE INHALATION TO A DEGREE OF A "BLACK OUT" STAGE. WE WITNESSED THE TIRES BURN UP ONE AFTER ANOTHER, BEGINNING WITH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE, THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE, THE REAR DRIVER'S AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE - AT THIS POINT WE MOVED FURTHER AWAY FROM THE BURNING VEHICLE AS WE EXPECTED THE CAR TO EXPLODE ONCE IT REACHED THE GAS TANK AREA, BUT SOMEHOW THE GAS TANK DIDN'T EXPLODE. IN FACT, THE SPARE TIRE WHICH SITS UNDERNEATH THE GAS TANK RECEIVED A SLIGHT SINGE AND DID NOT BURN (ALONG WITH THE GAS TANK). THE ONLY WARNING WE HAD WAS THE "SMELL OF SMOKE" - THE TRAILBLAZER'S DASH WARNING LIGHT DID NOT APPEAR TO INDICATE ANYTHING WAS WRONG. IN ADDITION, ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 25, 2014, ANOTHER TRAILBLAZER (SAME AREA) ALSO BURNT UP (AS REPORTED BY BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT). *TR