NHTSA Complaint #743685 — 1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER

OUR BLAZER CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. WE WERE TRAVELING AT 75 MPH USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED A LITTLE AND WE IMMEDIATELY SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE UNDER THE HOOD. WE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. AS WE WERE PULLING OFF THE ROAD THE COMPUTER CONTROLLED DASH INSTRUMENTS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION, BUT AT NO TIME DID THE ENGINE APPEAR TO HAVE PROBLEMS. AS SOON AS WE PULLED OVER WE REALIZED WE HAD A FIRE & IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. SOMEONE STOPPED WITH A SMALL FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO TRY A STOP THE FLAMES. THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE LOCATED TOWARDS THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OR LOWER AREA OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT IT WENT THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE BELOW THE DASH BOARD AND ENTERED THE CAB OF BLAZER. AT THAT POINT WE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND SHUT ALL THE DOORS AND THE HOOD TO TRY & CONTAIN & SMOTHER THE FIRE. WE THEN WAITED FOR HELP. WE WERE 150 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED ON A RURAL STRETCH OF INTERSTATE (THE NEAREST TOWN WAS 18 MILES AWAY). WE WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION TO FIND OUR WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR VEHICLE. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY WON'T HELP. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE GENERAL MANAGER TO CALL BACK. WE CONTACTED GM AND GOT AS FAR AS THE PRODUCT ALLEGATION RESOLUTION TEAM. THEY SENT A LETTER STATING "OUR INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT PRODUCT ALLEGATION". WE CALLED THEM BACK AND THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY NEVER LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE. HE SAID HE FOLLOWED PROCEDURES ACCORDING TO COMPANY POLICY (WE HAVE REQUESTED A COPY OF THAT POLICY). OUR VEHICLE IS STILL WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY TOWED IN MARCH. WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. *AK