NHTSA Complaint #11185070 — 2002 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX

MY CAR WOULDN'T START SO I CALLED AAA. THE MAN TRIED TO START THE CAR BEFORE HE ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IT. WHEN HE TURNED THE KEY, THE CAR EXPLODED AND CAUGHT FIRE. THANK GOODNESS HE HADN'T OPENED THE HOOD BECAUSE I WAS STANDING NEXT TO THE CAR AND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED FROM THE FLYING DEBRIS. WHEN WE OPENED THE HOOD TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND IN PIECES. I ENDED UP HAVING THE CAR TOWED AND THEY REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE FUEL RAILS COSTING ME $900. YESTERDAY I WENT TO START THE CAR AND IT ACTED LIKE IT DIDN'T WANT TO START AGAIN BUT FINALLY IT DID BUT I DID HEAR A POP. WHEN I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE, I FOUND AN ARTICLE ABOUT CHEVY IMPALAS EXPLODING BUT FROM READING THE COMMENTS, IT APPEARS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL GM CARS FROM THAT TIME PERIOD. I'M LINKNG THE ARTICLE SO YOU CAN READ THE REVIEWS AND CAN SEE THAT THIS IS STILL AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE OPENING COMMENT EXPLAINS THAT THERE WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL ABOUT THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM IN THE LATE 1990'S. THE PROBLEM IS WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS. EVERYTHING DESCRIBED IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR ON FEBRUARY 6 OF THIS YEAR. I NOW KNOW I NEED TO HAVE THE REGULATOR REPLACED OR IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN. I'M A SENIOR ON LIMITED INCOME AND I CAN'T AFFORD THIS EXPENSE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED WITH A RECALL. UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T TAKE ANY PHOTOS OF THE INCIDENT BUT I HAVE THE REPAIR BILL AND I'M SURE I COULD GET A STATEMENT FROM THE AAA PERSON WHO WAS ALSO PRESENT WHEN IT HAPPENED. HERE IS THE LINK FOR FURTHER TESTIMONY SHOWING SOMEONE WROTE AS RECENTLY AS FEBRUARY 12 WITH THE SAME ISSUE. HTTPS://RJHILLCONSULTING.WORDPRESS.COM/2014/03/08/CHEVY-IMPALA-NOT-RECALLED-FOR-EXPLODING-INTAKE-MANIFOLD-AND-ENGINE-FIRE/