# 2000 CHEVROLET VENTURE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
> NHTSA complaint `238543` · 2000-08-14 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** CHEVROLET
- **Model:** VENTURE
- **Year:** 2000
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
- **Speed:** 65 mph
## 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 
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*