NHTSA Complaint #747673 — 1993 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM RACINE, WE CROSSED THE RR TRACKS IN STURTEVANT AND THE CUTLASS JUST DIED. WE HAD LIGHTS BUT NO IGNITION. WE SUMMONED POLICE TO CALL A TOWTRUCK TO TOW IT TO FRANK GENTILE OLDSMOBILE. AFTER THREE DAYS THEY CALLED TO TELL US THE DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR $84 WHICH DETERMINED MY STARTER SHORTED OUT AND BLEW A 60 AMP FUSE; I QUESTIONED WHY THE STARTER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT SINCE THE CAR WAS MOVING, BUT THEY ASSURED ME IT WAS THE STARTER THAT SHORTED THEREFORE BLOWING THE 60 AMP FUSE THAT SHUT DOWN THE IGNITION! THAT COST ME $401. THEN ON JUNE 19, 2001 COMING HOME FROM RACINE GOING OVER THE SAME RR TRACKS IN STURTEVANT ; THE CUTLASS DID THE SAME THING; LOST IGNITION AND DIED. I HAD IT TOWED BACK TO FRANK GENTILE AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY HAD IT FOR A WEEK. THEN THY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT UPON FURTHER TESTING IT SHOWED MY WIRES WERE FRIED ALONG WITH THE SWITCHES IN MY STEERING COLUMN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE 60 AMP FUSE THAT BLEW AGAIN! THIS TIME I WAS GETTING A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE OF THEM TELLING ME IT WAS THE STARTER THE FIRST TIME. SO I TOLD THEM TO DO THE REPAIRS BUT GIVE ME THE ALLEGED DEFECTIVE PARTS. AFTER LOOKING AT THE WIRES AND SWITCHES THEY TOOK OUT , I QUESTIONED THEM THAT THE WIRES DIDN'T LOOK FRIED TO ME; THAN THEY CHANGED THEIR STORY AND SAID THERE WAS A SHORT IN THEM AND ASSURRED ME THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM; THAT COST ME $671.88. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING THE CUTLASS INTO RACINE WE WENT OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE CUTLASS DIED AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME! SO WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO FRANK GENTILE AGAIN. THIS MORNING, 7/2/01 MY WIFE AND I WENT DOWN TO FRANK GENTILE AND COMPLAINED VIGIOROUSLY. WE TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY HAZORD THAT THIS CAR KEEPS CUTTING OUT LIKE THAT; AND THEY OUGHT TO PUT SOMEONE ON THE PROBLEM THAT KNOWS HOW TO SOLVE ELECTRICAL SHORTS AND NOT KEEP SWAPPING PARTS AT MY EXPENSE THAT SOME BACKYARD MECHANIC MIGHT DO. THIS IS AN IGNITION ELECTRICAL FAILURE!*AK