2003 Buick Regal

I BACKED THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE GUAGES WERE NORMAL. WHEN I GOT OUT I SAW A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER CAR BUT WITHIN A MINUTE THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE FLAMES WERE ABOVE THE CAR. I CALLED 911 WHEN I SAW FLAMES AND KNEW I WASN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT MYSELF. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED, IT TOOK THEM AT LEAST 30 MINUTES TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. A COUNTY DEPUTY ARRIVED AND THERE IS A POLICE REPORT (I TRIED TO UPLOAD IT AND IT FAILED EACH TIME). THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY AN INSURANCE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE (UPLOAD FAILED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE REPEATEDLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT'S FRIEND OPENED THE VEHICLE'S HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. POLICE AND FIRE REPORTS WERE FILED AT THE SCENE, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. TWO MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 09V116(ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WHICH HE LINKED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

MY DAUGHTER WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT. THE SEAT KEPT HEATING UP ALMOST UNBEARABLE. THE NEXT DAY CAR WAS OFF ALL NIGHT MY BATTERY DIED AND THE HEATED SEAT WAS STILL HOT NEVER SHUT OFF ALL NIGHT LONG I FOUND A SENSOR UNDER THE SEAT AND UNPLUGGED THAT BUT AM NERVOUS OF MY DRIVER SEAT ALSO SHE HAS NEWBORN BABY WAS WITH US AND THE SEAT DEFINITELY COULD HAVE STARTED ON FIRE VERY DISTURBING ALSO VERY DANGEROUS.

RECALL #15757 WAS PERFORMED BY DEALER ON 2/24/2016. THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE REPAIR HAD 255,300 MILES ON IT WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (BROOKDALE CHEVROLET BUICK.GMC ON 5/30/18 WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR OIL DRIPPING ON THE MANIFOLD IT HAD 258,200. THERE IS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WE HAD IT IN STORAGE AFTER THE REPAIR AND TOOK IT OUT THIS SPRING. THE WIFE SAID IT SMOKED AND THEN I DROVE IT AND I HAD A LOT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SINCE THE REPAIR WE ONLY PUT 2,900 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. SURELY IF THE REPAIR WAS DONE CORRECTLY WE SHOULDN'T BE WORRYING ABOUT OUR SAFETY. THE CAR CAN'T BE DRIVEN AS IS. THE DEALER FLATLY SAID THEY WERE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MORE REPAIRS UNLESS I PAY THEM $1,100 TO REPLACE THE VALVE COVER AND VALVE COVER GASKET. THE CAR IS REGISTERED AT THE DEALER UNDER NL COMPANIES BECAUSE I HAVE A RENTAL. THEY CAN'T SEEM TO PUT IT UNDER MY NAME. I CAN APPRECIATE THEIR RELUCTANCE TO REDO THE REPAIRS BUT THERE IS NO WAY OIL SHOULD BE LEAKING AGAIN ON THE MANIFOLD AFTER 2.900 MILES. THEY WROTE DOWN THE WRONG MILEAGE ON THEIR 5/30/18 INVOICE. THERE SHOULD BE 4 DOCUMENTS ATTACHED IF I DID IT CORRECTLY.

THE BRIGHT /DIM HEADLIGHT CONTROLLER HITS THE BACK OF THE STEERING WHEEL IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS IN A POSITION DURING A RIGHT DIRECTION CURVE IN THE ROAD. THIS HAS CAUSED THE SWITCH TO CATCH IN BETWEEN SETTINGS AND THE HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF. AN EXAMPLE OF THAT USE WOULD BE GOING AROUND A CURVE AND NEED TO TURN BRIGHT LIGHTS OFF DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS BACK ON, THE BRIGHT / DIM SWITCH HAS TO BE ACTIVATED AGAIN. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW BY MYSELF IN 2003 AND HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER SINCE OWNING THE CAR. I FORGET ABOUT THE PROBLEM WHEN I GET HOME SO NOW I FINALLY REPORT IT IN 2018. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT BECAUSE THE SWITCH AND STEERING WHEEL ARE NOT DAMAGED. THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IS ONLY THE LAST INCIDENT.

UNANNOUNCED TO PURCHASERS, THE BUICK REGAL HAS A REDUNDANT AND DEFECTIVE SECURITY IGNITION SYSTEM THAT PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM BEING ABLE TO START WITH THE KEY AFTER THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED. IT MUST NOW BE TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO BE DIAGNOSED AND FOR A COSTLY REPAIR. IT WAS STATIONARY, AND THE BATTERY DRAINED DOWN WITH A PHONE CHARGER HOOKED UP. EVEN FOLLOWING THE FACTORY KEY SEQUENCE, THE BATTERY RUNS DOWN BEFORE THE CODE CAN BE CLEARED AND RE-ESTABLISHED.