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2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

fire · 238543 · 2000-08-14

Vehicle

Make
CHEVROLET
Model
VENTURE
Year
2000
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
Speed
65 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

CAN SEND A MORE READABLE VERSION ON REQUEST. I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT A VERY REAL AND DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET VENTURES. WE BOUGHT A 2000 MODEL THIS SPRING. WHILE TRAVELING ONE DAY, MY WIFE AND I, IN THE FRONT SEATS, THOUGHT WE SMELLED SMOKE. WE FIGURED THAT A VEHICLE THAT PASSED US ON THE INTERSTATE WAS SPEWING FUMES, SO WE DIDN'T REALLY THINK IT WAS ANYTHING SERIOUS. A FEW SECONDS LATER, SMOKE STARTING POURING OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT! I YELLED AT MY WIFE TO PULL OVER, AND SHE AND OUR THREE CHILDREN IMMEDIATELY EVACUATED THE VEHICLE. I STOOD BY THE PASSENGER DOOR, TRYING TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THIS SMOKE, WHICH WAS POURING OUT FROM THE FRONT AND THE BACK OF THE SEAT. I PULLED OUT THE STORAGE DRAWER UNDER THE SEAT, EXPECTING SOMETHING THERE. IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT I LOOKED BEHIND THE SEAT, SO SEE THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT GLOWING BRIGHT ORANGE FROM OPEN FLAMES. INSTINCT TOOK OVER AT THAT POINT, AND I VERY QUICKLY PULLED OUT THE CONTENTS UNDER THE SEAT - A CHILD'S BOOK, A SPIRAL-BOUND NOTEBOOK, AND A NYLON SEAT-BELT COVER DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN. I THEN BEGAN STAMPING OUT THE ITEMS AND THE BURNING CARPET WITH MY SHOES AND BARE HANDS. ALL OF THIS TOOK, AT MOST, 15-20 SECONDS. MY WIFE SUCCESSFULLY PULLED THE CHILDREN VERY FAR AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, FOR FEAR OF THE FIRE SPREADING, AND MAYBE EVEN CAUSING AN EXPLOSION. HAD I THOUGHT ABOUT MY ACTIONS RATHER THAN REACTING BY INSTINCT, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THE CAUSE? THERE ARE

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
727904
Machine
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