NHTSA Complaint #10684255 — 2004 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

[XXX]: AFTER A DAY OF LIGHT DRIVING AFTER BEING STATIONARY FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF IN COLORADO SPRINGS CO (COOL WEATHER) UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THE TEMP NEEDLE WENT FROM COOL TO ALMOST OVERHEATED IN THE UNDER 30 MINS IT TOOK TO GO FROM ONE STORE PARKING LOT TO THE NEXT NEARBY ONE. THE VEHICLE BECAME FULLY OVERHEATED & SPARKS / 1' FLAMES EMERGED FROM THE SIDES OF THE FRONT HOOD. UPON BEING SHUT OFF THE FLAMES RECEDED, AFTER APPROX 30MINS SITTING THE HOOD WAS LIFTED & FLUIDS CHECKED (ALL WERE AT APPROPRIATE LEVELS). THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AGAIN & RAN IDLE FOR 20 MINS & THE SPARKS / FLAMES REAPPEARED AGAIN SO THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT DOWN & A RIDE CALLED. UPON BEING PICKED UP THE NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE RAN FINE AGAIN FOR THE MOST PART WITH ONLY SLIGHT OVERHEATING - IT WAS TAKEN FOR AN ENGINE WASH / UNDER HOOD AT AN APPROPRIATE FACILITY TO REMOVE ANY FLAMMABLE / COMBUSTIBLE RESIDUE. HAD TO BE DRIVEN AT SPEEDS UNDER 50MPH TO RETURN HOME WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR