NHTSA Complaint #11414488 — 2008 BUICK LUCERNE

RECENTLY REPLACED FUEL PUMP. AFTER REPAIR, CAR WAS STILL A CRANK/NO START. REPLACED FUEL PUMP RELAY WHICH HAD OBVIOUS BURN/SCORCHING EVIDENCE, AS WELL AS MELTING AROUND FEMALE PORT ON THE FUSE BOX. SINCE THEN HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 OTHER NEW FUEL PUMP RELAYS DUE TO PROBLEM OF EXCESSIVE HEAT OR ELECTRICAL SURGE FRYING THE RELAY. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLED COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE TOP OF THE FUSE BOX CAUSING THE RELAY TO MOVE, CAUSING THE RELAY TO WORK HARDER TO MAINTAIN A CONNECTION, WHICH IN TURN CREATES MORE CURRENT AND THE RESULTING HEAT INCREASE MELTS THE CASING IN THE FUSE BOX AND KILLS THE RELAY. WHEN THE RELAY IS COMPROMISED IN SUCH A WAY THE FUEL PUMP STOPS OPERATING AND THE ENGINE GETS NO GAS THUS CREATING A CRANK/NO START IF THE CAR IS PARKED OR CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL OUT IF THE CAR IS IN MOTION. IN REASEARCHING THIS MATTER, IT IS CLEAR THAT GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS SITUATION FOR OVER 10 YEARS. THERE ARE MULTITUDES OF INDIVIDUALS EFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THEM HAVING SMOKING OR BURNING ISSUES WITH THE RELAY. PERSONALLY, I HAVE HAD STALL OUTS WHILE GOING WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WHICH RESULTED IN VEHICLE CONTROL ISSUES SUCH AS BRAKING AND STEERING AND EXCELLERATION, GM HAD EXTENDED REPAIR PERIOD FOR THE ISSUE BUT FAILED TO NOTIFY OWNERS SO MANY WERE UNAWARE OF THE REPAIRS OR EVEN THE ISSUE UNTIL THE PROBLEMS OCCURRED. NO RECALL HAS BEEN INITIATED BY GM EVEN THOUGH IT IS A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE CONTROL ISSUES WHEN STALL OUTS OCCUR AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRES UNDER THE SEAT AS THE PROBLEM PROGRESSES. GM REFUSES TO COVER REPAIRS TO AFFECTED VEHICLES SINCE THE COURTESY REPAIR ORDER EXPIRED AND THE VEHICLES ARE TYPICALLY OUT OF WARRANTY. VEHICLE INVOLVED IS A 2008 BUICK LUCERNE BUT THE ISSUE EFFECTS OTHER GM CARS. GM TSB 15-NA-051 FOR TECH DIRECTIVES