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1998 CHEVROLET BLAZER — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

fire · 287303 · 2001-04-07

Vehicle

Make
CHEVROLET
Model
BLAZER
Year
1998
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
Speed
75 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

OUR BLAZER CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. WE WERE TRAVELING AT 75 MPH USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED A LITTLE AND WE IMMEDIATELY SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE UNDER THE HOOD. WE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. AS WE WERE PULLING OFF THE ROAD THE COMPUTER CONTROLLED DASH INSTRUMENTS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION, BUT AT NO TIME DID THE ENGINE APPEAR TO HAVE PROBLEMS. AS SOON AS WE PULLED OVER WE REALIZED WE HAD A FIRE & IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. SOMEONE STOPPED WITH A SMALL FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO TRY A STOP THE FLAMES. THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE LOCATED TOWARDS THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OR LOWER AREA OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT IT WENT THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE BELOW THE DASH BOARD AND ENTERED THE CAB OF BLAZER. AT THAT POINT WE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND SHUT ALL THE DOORS AND THE HOOD TO TRY & CONTAIN & SMOTHER THE FIRE. WE THEN WAITED FOR HELP. WE WERE 150 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED ON A RURAL STRETCH OF INTERSTATE (THE NEAREST TOWN WAS 18 MILES AWAY). WE WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION TO FIND OUR WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR VEHICLE. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY WON'T HELP. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE GENERAL MANAGER TO CALL BACK. WE CONTACTED GM AND GOT AS FAR AS THE PRODUCT ALLEGATION RESOLUTION TEAM. THEY SENT A LETTER STATING "OUR INVEST

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
743685
Machine
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