NHTSA Complaint #10746467 — 2009 BUICK LACROSSE

I WAS DRIVING ON PARKWAY IN NASSAU COUNTY AT 11:30 AM ON 7/2/15 ON A SUNNY DAY AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED GOING UP AND DOWN SLOWLY, I HAD NOT PUT THEM ON. WHILE DRIVING I TRIED TO STOP THE WIPERS TO NO AVAIL. THE COMPUTER ON DASHBOARD STATED 'OPEN HOOD' BUT AS I WAS DRIVING THE HOOD WAS DEFINITELY NOT OPEN. I LATER REALIZED THE COMPUTER WAS SAYING... OPEN THE HOOD. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOOD AND THE COMPUTER SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'SYSTEM FAILURE'. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TOOK THE KEYS. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE STILL MOVING EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS OFF AND KEYS WERE OUT OF THE IGNITION. A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER FROM LOCAL AREA SAW MY CAR, PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD AND USED AN EXTINGUISHER ON THE FUSE BOX WHICH WAS SMOKING BADLY ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T SEE FLAMES. HE DISCONNECTED THE CABLES ON THE FUSE BOX, LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND NY STATE TROOPER ARRIVED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANICS GARAGE. WE HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THE FUSE BOX WAS DISTROYED WITH MOST DAMAGE TO THE HDM RELAY AS POSITION #35 IS SEVERELY DAMAGED. I BELIEVE THIS IS ALSO NEXT TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER RELAY WHICH IS WHY THEY WENT ON. ALSO 3 MAJOR WIRING HARNESSES WERE MELTED AND DESTROYED. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE COMPUTER OR ANY OTHER FEATURE UNDER THE HOOD IS AFFECTED AT THIS TIME. THE DAMAGE AT THIS POINT IS ESTIMATED TO BE $4,000 IN PARTS AND LABOR NOT INCLUDING POSSIBLE COMPUTER DAMAGE. I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET THAT MY CAR IS INCLUDED IN RECALL N140291 LOSS OF LOW BEAM HDM DATED 11/25/14 BUT THAT GM 'WILL' PROVIDE A PLAN FOR REMEDYING THE DEFECT. ALSO ON THE INTERNET IS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY PEOPLE THAT THEY HAD SIMILAR ISSUES WITH FIRE STARTING IN THE FUSE BOX IN HDM POSITION #35. THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND RESOLVED NOW BY GM BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT IN A FIRE. UPDATED 06/08/16*LJ *CN