# 1999 CHEVROLET VENTURE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
> NHTSA complaint `394498` · 2003-02-18 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** CHEVROLET
- **Model:** VENTURE
- **Year:** 1999
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- **Speed:** 65 mph
## 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.
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*