NHTSA complaint: 1998 GMC JIMMY — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
I WAS DRIVING A 1998GMC JIMMY FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OK TO WALTERS, OK. EVERYTHING WAS GREAT AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING PERFECTLY. I WAS ON THE HE BAILEY TURNPIKE ON HIGHWAY MARKER 30 - I COULD SEE THE SIGN AND PULL OFF FOR THE FAXON EXIT AND THE BIG SIGN FOR WALTERS. A FEW WISPS OF WHITE SMOKE APPEARED AND THEN HEAVY GREY SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW INTO MY FACE THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE VENT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I STARTED TO COUGH AND COULDN'T SEE SO I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AS I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE AND RAN TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLES. UNDER THE HOOD, HALF OF THE ENGINE BAY WAS ALREADY BURNED AWAY - LIKE THE BOTTLE FOR ANTI-FREEZE AND HOSES.... THE WHOLE ENGINE BAY WAS ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS GONE AT THAT POINT - THERE WAS NO WAY TO SAVE IT. I RAN TO THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AND GRABBED A BASKET THAT HAD MY CENSUS ID AND I THREW IT AWAY FROM THE CAR. I GRABBED SOME CDS THEN TOO, BUT THEY WERE ON FIRE. THE DASH WAS ON FIRE AND WAS SPREADING INTO THE FRONT SEAT. I THREW THE CDS IN THE DIRT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. I GRABBED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR OF THE BACK SEAT AND GRABBED A HAMPER WITH PRESENTS FOR MY DAUGHTER. I RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE BACK SEAT AND GRABBED THE LEGAL PAPERS OF CENSUS APPLICANTS - THEY WERE ON FIRE AND I SNUFFED OUT THE FIRE IN THE DIRT. I GRABBED MY JEAN JACKET WITH MY MILITARY ID AND DRIVER'S LICENSE - THE BACK SEAT AND FRONT SEAT WERE ON FIRE AND I RAN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND IT FIREBALLED AND EXPLODED. TWO M
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation