NHTSA Complaint #10915945 — 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON OCT 10, 2016, A BIT BEFORE 3:30 PM ON THE BELT PARKWAY IN BROOKLYN NY. I WAS GOING SLOWLY AS THERE WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 90 MINUTES WHEN I TURNED ON THE AC AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A STRONG BURNING SMELL, SO I TURNED THE AC OFF. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I NOTICED WISPS OF WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER (LESS THAN 2 MINUTES) HEAVIER WHITE THEN GRAY SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT AND VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON IN THE DASHBOARD. I GOT OUT, GRABBED MY BELONGINGS AND CALLED 911 WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF PULLING OVER. AN OFF DUTY FIREMAN ATTEMPTED TO ASSIST WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT IN MINUTES THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ABLAZE. FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED QUICKLY BUT THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND IT IS A TOTAL LOSS AT 67,000 MILES. IN 4 YEARS OF OWNING THIS CAR I HAD 3 RECALLS (ONE FOR ENGINE FIRE) AND MULTIPLE LETTERS FROM CHEVY OF OTHER ISSUES THAT MIGHT ARISE (THE LAST WAS FOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSSIBLY COMING OFF). I'VE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH THIS MANY ISSUES.