# 1994 PONTIAC GRAND AM — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
> NHTSA complaint `269759` · 2001-01-20 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** PONTIAC
- **Model:** GRAND AM
- **Year:** 1994
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
## Narrative
I STARTED MY CAR AND IT DIDN'T START.  IT THEN SMELLED LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE.  IT THEN STARTED AFTER THAT, BUT EVER SINCE IT DID NOT WORK WELL.  A FEW DAYS LATER I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE ABOUT FIRES IN THE STEERING COLUMN.  ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRE, MY CAR WOULD START THEN DIE A FEW MINUTES LATER.  I HAD TO KEEP JUMPING IT TO GET IT TO THE DEALER TO BE FIXED.  THEY REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND SERPENTINE BELT.  I HAD THE ALTERNATOR REPLACED JUST A YEAR AGO BECAUSE OF A SIMILAR PROBLEM BUT WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECALL THEN.  I CALLED GM AND THEY TOLD ME "TOUGH LUCK" IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY.  I DON'T THINK IT IS A COINCIDENCE THAT AFTER THE FIRE EVERYTHING WENT WRONG.  I DON'T THINK I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY, AND I FEEL GM SHOULD REIMBURSE ME.  ALSO, SINCE WE CAN'T GET THIS RECALL FIXED UNTIL MARCH, I AM WORRIED THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT THE FIRE COULD HAVE AFFECTED THESE OTHER AREAS, AND SINCE IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, I DON'T THINK I OR OTHER PEOPLE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY.
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*