NHTSA Complaint #10712209 — 2006 BUICK RAINIER

THE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING CONTROLS HAD NOT BEEN WORKING AND /OR WORKING ERRATICALLY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. WE ALSO ASKED THEM TO FIX THE RECALL ITEM, DOOR SWITCH, AND WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON OUR VEHICLE EVENTHOUGH WE HAD RECEIVED NOTICE FROM GM BY MAIL. ON MARCH 14, 2015 I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER SUDDENLY STARTED WORKING FULL FORCE. WITHIN 10 MINUTES I SMELLED AN ELECTRIC FIRE AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING INTO THE CAB FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE DASH. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TRIED TO OPEN THE HOOD. AS THE SMOKE INCREASED I WENT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO REMOVE BELONGINGS FROM THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE DASH AND BURNING EMBERS FALLING INTO THE CAB. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVE, THE VEHICLE WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT HURT, BUT ARE NOW WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND STILL OWE THE FINANCE COMPANY SINCE WE HAD ONLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 9 MONTHS AGO. SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH REVEALED THE HEADLIGHTS WE HAD REPLACED TWICE ALSO HAD ELECTRICAL ISSUES, AND THE SUSPENSION NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE HAD MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS. *TR