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2009 BUICK LACROSSE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 1206283 · 2015-08-05

Vehicle

Make
BUICK
Model
LACROSSE
Year
2009
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Miles at failure
96,000
Speed
55 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

I WAS DRIVING ON PARKWAY IN NASSAU COUNTY AT 11:30 AM ON 7/2/15 ON A SUNNY DAY AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED GOING UP AND DOWN SLOWLY, I HAD NOT PUT THEM ON. WHILE DRIVING I TRIED TO STOP THE WIPERS TO NO AVAIL. THE COMPUTER ON DASHBOARD STATED 'OPEN HOOD' BUT AS I WAS DRIVING THE HOOD WAS DEFINITELY NOT OPEN. I LATER REALIZED THE COMPUTER WAS SAYING... OPEN THE HOOD. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOOD AND THE COMPUTER SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'SYSTEM FAILURE'. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TOOK THE KEYS. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE STILL MOVING EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS OFF AND KEYS WERE OUT OF THE IGNITION. A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER FROM LOCAL AREA SAW MY CAR, PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD AND USED AN EXTINGUISHER ON THE FUSE BOX WHICH WAS SMOKING BADLY ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T SEE FLAMES. HE DISCONNECTED THE CABLES ON THE FUSE BOX, LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND NY STATE TROOPER ARRIVED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANICS GARAGE. WE HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THE FUSE BOX WAS DISTROYED WITH MOST DAMAGE TO THE HDM RELAY AS POSITION #35 IS SEVERELY DAMAGED. I BELIEVE THIS IS ALSO NEXT TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER RELAY WHICH IS WHY THEY WENT ON. ALSO 3 MAJOR WIRING HARNESSES WERE MELTED AND DESTROYED. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE COMPUTER OR ANY OTHER FEATURE UNDER THE HOOD IS AFFECTED AT THIS TIME. THE DAMAGE AT THIS POINT IS ESTIMATED TO BE $4,000 IN PARTS AND LABOR NOT INCLUDING POSSIBLE COMPUTER DAMAGE. I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTER

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10746467
Machine
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