NHTSA Complaint #737291 — 1993 CHEVROLET BLAZER

THE WIFE WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 60-65 MPH. ALL GAGES, SOUNDS, NOISES WERE NORMAL. AT APPROXITMATELY 30 MILES FROM HOME THERE WAS A "BANG"UNDER THE HOOD FOLLOWED BY REPEATED THUMPING. SHE IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE GAGES. BATERY LIGHT WAS ON AND THE ALTERNATER GAUGE WAS ALMOST TO ZERO. SHE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND STOPPED. SHE TRIED TO CONTACT ME AT MY OFFICE FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES. SHE THEN NOTICED INCREASING BLACK COLOR AT THE DRIVER SIDE HOOD AND FENDER JUNCTION AND HEAT WAVES EMINATING FROM THE HOOD AREA. SHE GOT OUT AND THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL SAW FLAMES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT . ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER AN OHIO STATE PATROLMAN AMONG OTHERS PULLED UP TO THE SCENE. MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO SALVAGE MOST OF THE PERSONAL EFFECTS IN THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR THOSE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE BURNED QUICKLY FROM BUMPER TO BUMPER. THE TROOPER SAID THAT THE FIRE WAS SO HOT AND MOVED SO FAST THAT IF SHE HAD TRIED TO MAKE THE EXIT 1/2 MILE UP THE ROAD THE THE FIRE WOULD HAVE COME THROUGH THE FIRE WALL AND UNDER THE DASH AND THAT SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERLY BURNED OR KILLED. IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUNG CHILDREN OR INFANTS IN CAR SEATS THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TIME TO GET THEM OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED, REGULAR OIL CHANGES BUT NO RECENT SERVICE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR NOISE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. MY EVALUATION IS THAT SOMETHING WENT WRONG WITH THE ALTERNATOR. IN THE BURNED OUT SHELL THE ALTERNATOR WAS DETACHED FROM THE ENGIN, LYING ON THE FRAME WORK UNDER THE DRIVERSIDE HEADLIGHTS AND SIDEWAYS FACING THE PASSANGER SIDE. THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT THE ALUMINUM ALTERNATER CASE WAS MELTED AWAY AND THE ALUMINUM AC EVAPORATOR COIL AND RADIATOR COIL WERE BOTH PARTIALLY MELTED AWAY IN THE VACINITY OF WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE ALTERNATOR. IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS I HAVE RUN ACROSS AT LEAST 6 OTHER IN THE CENTRAL OHIO AREA WHERE THIS STYLE OF CHEVY BLAZER HAS CAUGHT FIRE. *A