NHTSA complaint: 2014 BUICK REGAL — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE NORMALLY DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND ATTEMPTING TO PASS A SEMI TRUCK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY WENT OUT OF CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WENT TO MAXIMUN ACCELERATION AND THE BRAKES AND STEERING BOTH FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A SPIN AND CRASHED INTO THE SEMI TRUCK'S REAR TRAILER WHEELS. THE TRUCK RAN OVER THE LEFT FRONT PORTION OF THE VEHICLE, BLOWING BOTH OUTER TIRES ON THE TRUCK AND CRUSHING THE FRONT, LEFT PORTION VEHICLE IN THE PROCESS. THERE WAS NO TICKETS ISSUED BY THE POLICE AGENCY THAT INVESTIGATED THE ACCIDENT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INVOLVED SETTLED ALL CLAIMS AND TOTALED OUT THE VEHICLE. I REPURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY BECAUSE I WAS DETERMINED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. IT TOOK ME 3 MONTHS TO FIGURE IT OUT, HOWEVER I HAVE. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS GM'S FAILURE TO INSTALL AN ELECTRICAL GROUND STRAP FROM THE ENGINE TO THE CHASSIS. NOW THERE IS NO PATH FOR THE ELECTRICITY TO GET BACK EITHER TO THE ALTERNATOR OR THE BATTERY. WHILE THERE ARE SOME SMALL GROUND RETURNS IN THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, NOTHING LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE REQUIRED AMPERAGE TO GET BACK. WHEN IT CAN'T FIND A PATH, IT LOOKS FOR ANOTHER WAY THROUGH THE BODY OR THE SMALL RETURNS IN THE CABLE. THE WIRES IN THE CABLE GOT HOT AND MELTED THE INSULATION OFF AND SHORTED OUT THE OTHER WIRES. THIS DROPPED THE VOLTAGE ON THE MAIN BUSS WHICH FEEDS THE COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER CONTROLS THE POWER SETTINGS TO THE ENGINE, THE BRAKING SYSTEM, AND THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERI
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation