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1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire1 injured · 394498 · 2003-02-18

Vehicle

Make
CHEVROLET
Model
VENTURE
Year
1999
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Speed
65 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

VAN CAUGHT ON FIRE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR (BY THE GAS TANK) WHILE WE WERE TRAVELLING ABOUT 65 MPH, AT NIGHT TIME, ON A CROWDED FREEWAY. THERE WAS NO WARNING, THE ONLY INDICATION I HAD THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS THAT THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. OTHER PEOPLE ON THE FREEWAY WERE HONKING ETC BECAUSE THEY COULD SEE WHAT I COULD NOT. BY THE TIME I GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH, ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. I GOT IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SMOKE FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE GOT OUT AND RAN. A WRECKER DRIVER PUT OUT MOST OF THE FIRE BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. GOT THERE. I HAD THE VAN PICKED UP AND BROUGHT HOME. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND ASKED THAT THEY COME TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THING. THEY DECLINED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND REFUSED TO SEND ANYONE. I TOOK IT TO AN ELECTRICAL SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED AT THE PLUG IN THE BACK WHERE YOU CAN PLUG IN A TV OR WHATEVER. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS COULDN'T/SHOULDN'T HAPPEN BUT IT DID. I HAVE HAD OTHER ELECTRICAL AS WELL AS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS THING. I BOUGHT IT NEW, NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER DRIVEN IT SO I KNOW THE HISTORY. I HAD THE WIRING REDONE BYPASSING THAT PLUG BUT I NOW HAVE A CHECK ENGINE, PASS KEY & AIRBAG LLIGHTS COMING ON. THE VEHICLE IS TOTALLED TO ME AS BOTH I AND MY KIDS ARE AFRAID TO RIDE IN IT. UNFORTUNATELY I STILL HAVE TO DRIVE IT SOME BECAUSE IT IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE.

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10007708
Machine
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