NHTSA Complaint #10861441 — 2005 BUICK LACROSSE

MARCH 2016 DROVE CAR OVER LOCAL HIGHWAY TO LOCAL MALL AND PARKED. RETURNED TO CAR AFTER SHOPPING TO HEAD HOME AND CAR WOULD NOT START. APPEARED TO BE DEAD. CALLED TOWING COMPANY. WHEN THEY OPENED THE HOOD TO ATTEMPT TO JUMP START, NOTICED HORRIBLE BURNING SMELL AND TOW DRIVER POINTED OUT THAT WIRES APPEARED BURNED AND SHARED THAT SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG. TOWED CAR TO OWN REPAIR SHOP. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FUSE BOX IN THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETED FRIED ALONG WITH THE ATTACHED WIRING AFFECTING THE COMPUTERS, ETC. SUGGESTED CALL TO INSURANCE COMPANY AS WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX AND EVEN THEN NO GUARANTEE IT WOULD WORK PROPERLY AGAIN. INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED CAR TOTAL LOSS AND WOULD NOT PAY AS IT CAME UNDER THE 'MECHANICAL FAILURE' CLAUSE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL 14V755 THAT DISPLAYS ONLY WHEN SEARCHING BY VIN. THE RECALL STILL DISPLAYS THAT 'REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE'. ALSO FOUND ENTRIES IN SAFERCAR.GOV OF SAME SITUATION HAPPENING TO OTHERS WITH THE ENGINE CATCHING FIRE. NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL. UNAWARE OF THIS RECALL, WAS HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE LIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY 8/2015 AND HAD OWN REPAIR SHOP REPLACE THIS MODULE ON 8/2015 WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. CAR IN OVERALL EXCELLENT CONDITION AND NOW RENDERED USELESS.