NHTSA Complaint #707099 — 1994 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

THIS SWITCH FAILED WHILE PARKED, THANK GOODNESS. A BURNING ODOR BECAME OVERWHELMING WHILE PUTTING ON SEATBELTS TO DRIVE AWAY. IT WAS NIGHT, SO I COULD NOT TELL FOR SURE WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. MY NEXT INSTINCT WAS TO TURN THE CAR OFF IN HOPES OF PREVENTING FURTHER DAMAGE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE DOME LIGHT SWITCH WAS MELTED TO THE POINT THAT THE SWITCH, BEZEL AND WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR WERE DESTROYED. I HAVE RECEIVED TWO RECALL NOTICES ON THIS VEHICLE FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, ONE FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AND ONE FOR THE WIPER MOTOR WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM IS SUSPECT IN THIS VEHICLE. WITH ONLY 48,000 MILES WE NOW HAVE THREE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS. OBVIOUSLY PER MY REPORT, THERE WERE NO INJURIES CAUSED BY THE SWITCH BURNING UP. HOWEVER, HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME THAT THE SWITCH MELTED, SHE VERY WELL MAY HAVE ENDED UP WITH A DASH BOARD FIRE ON THE ROAD WITH 5 CHILREN. I AM VERY INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING THE FREQUENCY OF THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT WITH OTHER SUBURBANS AS WELL AS ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES. AS AN ENGINEER IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, I KNOW DARN WELL THAT THET THERE IS NO SUCH THINK AS A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE ON ANY TYPE OF FAILURE AND THIS VEHICLE IS PROVING TO BE A LOSER WHEN IT COMES TO WIRING AND SWITCHES. SORRY FOR BEING SO LONG WINDED. *99V025000. *AK