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2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

fire · 844898 · 2011-03-02

Vehicle

Make
PONTIAC
Model
GRAND PRIX
Year
2004
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
Miles at failure
190,000

Severity

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

Narrative

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM (TRACTION CONTROL/STS/ABS), THE LIGHTS CAME ON 2009. WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2008. WE HAD NOT BEING EXPERIENCING ANY OTHER PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THAT WE KNEW OF. MY HUSBAND DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS A RECALL ON THE 2004S FOR THE TRACTION CONTROL MALFUNCTION; HOWEVER, HE WAS TOLD THAT WE HAD MISSED THE RECALL PERIOD AND SO WE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OURSELVES. IN 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY SON AND I TO THE DOCTOR, ABOUT 30 MINUTES AWAY, WHEN WE GOT OUT THE CAR I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND SAW SO SOME SMOKE BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM MY CAR, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM OVER A WOODEN FENCE. SO I THOUGHT NOTHING ABOUT IT, (ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAD NOT BEEN HAVING ANY PROBLEMS OTHER THAT THE ONE DESCRIBE ABOVE) SO I GOT MY SON AND WENT INTO THE DOCTORS OFFICE. WE WERE IN THERE FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, WHEN THE RECEPTIONIST INFORMED EVERYONE THAT IT WAS A CAR ON FIRE OUT IN THE PARKING LOT. I WENT OUTSIDE TO MOVE MY CAR SINCE I HAD REMEMBERED SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING WHEN I ARRIVED TO THE DOCTORS' OFFICE. WELL WHEN I GOT OUT BACK, THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS MY CAR THAT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED.THEY PUT OUT THE FIRE WHICH HAD BY THAT TIME COMPLETELY BURNED UP THE ENGINE. THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED, UNDER THE HOOD. ONE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS ASKED ME HAD WE RECENTLY HAD ANY WORK DONE ON THE CAR. I TOLD HIM NO.

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10386159
Machine
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