NHTSA Complaint #764742 — 2001 OLDSMOBILE AURORA

PROGRAM BEGAN W/ "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMING ON. TOOK TO DEALER (6/10/02); CODE INDICATED AIR PUMP SEIZED UP & FOUND 50 AMP AIR PUMP FUSE BLOWN. TRACED TO CIRCUIT. REPLACED EXHAUST VALVE, SECONDARY AIR INJECTION PUMP & SAI VACUMM CONTROL SOLENOID. CAR RETURNED 6/12/02. WHEN ARRIVED HOME, SMELLED BURNING AND HEARD NOISE UNDER HOOD RUNNING LIKE A SMALL MOTOR. RETURNED TO DEALER THAT EVENING: SMELL AND NOISE GONE. CALLED DEALER NEXT DAY TO REPORT AND AGREED W/ THEM MAY HAVE BEEN 'BREAK-IN' OF PARTS. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN FOLLOWING WEEK. TOOK TO DEALER 6/21 AND FOUND SAME PROBLEM AND REPLACEMENT PARTS HAD ACTUALLY BURNED AND MELTED. NEW PARTS ORDERED: AIR PUMP, RELAY, CONNECTOR AND REPLACED IN VEHICLE. ON WAY HOME, SMELLED STRONG BURNING SMELL. PULLED OFF INTERSTATE TO TURN AROUND TO RETURN TO DEALER. UPON GOING ON SURFACE STREETS, ANOTHER DRIVER YELLED MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. PULLED OFF ROAD INTO A LUMBER YARD PARKING LOT AND CAR BURST INTO HUGE FLAMES INCL. 3 SMALL EXPLOSIONS. FIRE DEPARTMENT INDICATED FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE AND STARTED AT WIRING BOX. ALSO REPLACEMENT PARTS POSSIBLE SOURCE OF FIRE. CAR TOWED BACK TO DEALER. DEALER CONTACTED GM WHO CONTACTED ME. CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY (5 YR/60,000 MILES).GM INDICATED AFTER SPEAKING W/ DEALER, THEY WOULD PURCHASE VEHICLE BACK AND PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER, GM TO DATE HASN'T PROVIDED ANY WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION STATING THEIR VERBAL COMMITMENT TO GIVE US ANOTHER CAR. PHONE CALLS TO THEIR OFFICE GO UNANSWERED. THE CAR HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE DEALER'S LOT (COVER UP?) AND NO ONE CAN TELL US WHERE IT WENT. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY CAN'T EVEN INVESTIGATE IF WE DECIDE TO FILE A CLAIM WITH THEM. GMAC IS STILL SENDING US CAR PAYMENT DUE NOTICES & WASNOT INFORMED THE CAR HAD CAUGHT FIRE AND IS COMPLETELY TOTALLED. WE ARE VERY DISSATISFIED W/ GM'S RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM AND THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS, DANGEROUS DEFECT. GM'S CLAIM #: S1-10752551. I HOPE YOU CAN BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE. THANK YOU.*JB