NHTSA Complaint #10807353 — 2002 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO

TWO ISSUES: (1) THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY 2002 MONTE CARLO 3.8L V6 EXPLODED WHEN THE IGNITION KEY WAS TURNED, AND IT EXPLODED WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE OIL CAP (SCREWED IN WITH THICK THREADS) WAS BLOWN OFF. HAD MY MECHANIC HAD HIS HEAD UNDER THERE WHEN HIS COUNTERPART TURNED THE KEY IT WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM AS SHRAPNEL FLEW EVERYWHERE. GM HAD A RECALL REGARDING THE EXPLODING OF INTAKE MANIFOLDS ON THIS EXACT ENGINE BUT IT ONLY WENT UP TO MDL YR 2000. THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND EFFECTS ARE IDENTICAL INCLUDING THE ENGINE MODEL. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CARNAGE THIS EXPLOSION CAUSED BUT WOULD NEED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO SEND THEM TO YOU. (2) AS THE NHTSA IS AWARE, GM HAS RECENTLY ISSUED A THIRD RECALL FOR LEAKING VALVE COVER GASKETS THAT HAVE STARTED FIRES IN THIS SAME VEHICLE. BY SHEER COINCIDENCE ON THE SAME DAY THAT GM ANNOUNCED THIS THIRD RECALL I PAID MY MECHANIC OVER $300.00 TO REPLACE THESE VALVE COVER GASKETS AND I WANT GM TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS. IT WAS POSING A FIRE HAZARD AND WE TRANSPORT OUR YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN IN THIS VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH GM HAS ADMITTED IN WRITING THAT THEY HAVE MY CORRECT ADDRESS ON FILE AS REGISTERED WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES THEY DO NOT KNOW WHY I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT THE OIL LEAKS CAUSING FIRES NOR WILL THEY ELABORATE AS TO WHY OR INDICATE THAT THEY WILL RESEARCH WHY I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. THEIR RECORDS WILL BEAR OUT THAT I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF ANY SUCH RECALL. I AM GETTING NOTHING FROM GM BUT THE STANDARD PARTY LINE AND NEED THEM TO LOOK AT AND REPAIR THIS INTAKE MANIFOLD ISSUE NOW. IT IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION AND IS DEAD. I HAVE ASKED FOR THEM TO PROVIDE A RENTAL BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED. PLEASE, YOUR ASSISTANCE IS DESPERATELY NEEDED. MY WIFE AND I ARE RAISING OUR TWO YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN AND I NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK. WE CAN NOT AFFORD A RENTAL UNTIL SUCH TIME AS GM DECIDES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.