NHTSA Complaint #10816262 — 1999 BUICK REGAL

ENGINE EXPLOSION AND FIRE VEHICLE WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY ENGINE OFF. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY ENGINE FIRE. FLAMES WERE 20 FT HIGH. FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED BUT I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WATER FROM MY GARDEN HOSE. WHEN THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED THE FIRE WAS ALREADY OUT. MY EVALUATION IS THE FOLLOWING: THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION WAS SO GREAT THAT IT SPLIT OPEN/CRACKED THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD (UPPER PLANUM). IT ALSO LIFTED THE FUEL RAIL FROM THE ENGINE AND SOME INJECTORS CAME LOOSE, FUEL THEN SPILLED ON THE ENGINE AND FIRE IMMEDIATELY ENSUED. THE PLASTIC FUEL LINES ALSO POPPED OFF THE FUEL INJECTORS RAIL, THIS SPILLED EVEN MORE FUEL AND FED THE FIRE EVEN MORE. I CANNOT BELIEVE BUICK/GM USE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS (UPPER PLANUM) AND PLASTIC FUEL LINE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I BELIEVE IF THE MANIFOLD AND FUEL LINES HAD BEEN MADE OF METAL, THE EXPLOSION OR BACKFIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTAINED AND MINIMAL DAMAGE WITH NO FIRE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE FIRE CONSUMED THE PLASTIC FUEL LINE WHICH THEN SPILLED EVEN MORE FUEL ONTO THE ON GOING FIRE. I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME INCIDENT INVOLVING BUICK AND GM VEHICLES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND DEFECTS THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. IF THIS INCIDENT HAD HAPPENED IN MY GARAGE MY ENTIRE HOUSE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE AND THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS INJURY OR FATALITIES WITHIN MY FAMILY OR MYSELF. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ENGINEERING DEFECT THAT NEEDS BE CORRECTED.