NHTSA Complaint #11404827 — 2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE

ON MY WAY TO WORK FEBRUARY 22 I HAD NOTICE A STRONG BURNING SMELL AND JUST ASSUMED IT WAS FROM SOMETHING OUTSIDE. SO I JUST IGNORED IT AND CONTINUED MY DRIVE. ONCE I GOT TO WORK I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOME LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD SO I LIFTED IT AND CHECKED TO SEE IF ANYTHING LOOKED STRANGE BUT I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING. SO I CONTINUE TO DRIVE FOR A FEW MORE DAYS BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO THE SMELL AND SMOKE. MIND YOU I CHECK ALL MY FLUIDS ONCE A WEEK BECAUSE I DO ALOT OF LONG DISTANCE DRIVING. AFTER ABOUT 6-8 DAYS OF DRIVING TO MY NEW JOB THE SMOKE STARTED GETTING THICKER AND MORE WHITE AND I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT MY OIL LEVEL WAS DROPPING. SO I BOUGHT SOME TO KEEP IN MY CAR SO I DIDN'T RUN IT DRY. BUT I HAD TO KEEP DRIVING IT TO WORK BECAUSE I NEEDED TO HAVE A PAYCHECK COMING IN. I HAD BEEN OFF WORK FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND COULDN'T AFFORD TO BRING IT TO A MECHANIC UNTIL MY FIRST PAY DAY. WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY AS I PULLED UP TO MY HOUSE ON THE 8TH (TWO DAYS BEFORE MY VISIT TO THE MECHANIC) I NOTICED THE SMOKE WAS MUCX MORE INTENSE THEN IT WAS BEFORE SO I LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES. SO I CLOSED THE HOOD AND GRABBED SOME BAKING SODA FROM MY HOUSE AND POURED IT OVER THE FLAMES. MY NEIGHBOR SAW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND CAME OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND NOTICED WHERE THE OIL WAS COMING FROM AND SAID HE COULD PATCH IT TEMPORARILY SO I CAN MAKE IT TO THE MECHANIC. BUT I AM NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK. ALSO ABOUT A MONTH AGO I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM MY FRONT WHEELS AS I WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE.