1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

ON 02/18/2002, 04:20 AM, MY WIFE WENT TO START THE CAR TO LET IT WARM UP BEFORE GOING TO WORK. UPON START UP, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND THERE WAS A FIRE INSTANTLY. I RAN OUT AND ROLLED THE CAR OUT OF THE CARPORT AND INTO THE BACK YARD. THE NEIGHBOR CAME RUNNING WITH A FIRE EXTINGUSHER AND PUT OUT THE FIRE JUST BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. THERE WAS A RECALL (YOUR NUMBER 96V116000). THE UPPER INTAKE MANAFOLD DID FRACTURE FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER...GAPPING OPEN ABOUT TWO AND A HALF INCHES.. MY CAR WAS REPAIRED FOR THIS RECALL ON 01/19/1998. I GUESS THAT THIS WAS NOT A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THE GM INVESTIGATER LOOKED AT THE CAR AND TOLD ME "THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WE HAD DONE TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM". HE WOULD NOT SAY ANYMORE. ON 02/18/2002, THE PRRSON FOR GM CALLED AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. IF THE RECALL WAS NOT A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM, THERE ARE (ACCOURDING TO YOUR FIGURES),275,811 VEHICLES OUT THERE THAT THIS COULD STILL HAPPEN TO. LORD, HELP THE PERSON THAT IS LOOKING OVER THE ENGINE WHEN IT IS BEING STARTED. IT WILL TAKE THEIR HEAD OFF. THANK YOU, [XXX]*AK REFERENCED IN EA02-030 PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).