2023 Chevrolet Corvette

Component/System: Fuel System – Fuel Filler / Left-Side Radiator and Cooling Fan Assembly (subject to NHTSA Recall 25V536). What happened: On June 15, 2024, I was refueling my 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 at a BP gas station in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. As I removed the fuel pump nozzle from the vehicle, a violent explosion occurred. I was immediately engulfed in a fireball. My clothing caught fire and was burning me. I jumped clear of the flames and extinguished the fire on my clothing. I saw that the vehicle remained fully engulfed in flames with the pump nozzle still lodged in the filler. I ran to the adjacent pump island where a station attendant was attempting but was unable to open a locked fire extinguisher cabinet. I broke the glass with both of my bare hands to remove the fire extinguisher. I sustained a severe laceration to my forehead that was approximately 3 inches long and required plastic surgery of over 50 stitches to close. I then ran to the car that was burning with approximately 10 foot flames and I used the fire extinguisher to put out the fire on the vehicle and pump. I then pulled the pump handle from the fuel filler opening and called the police. The police and fire department arrived and confirmed the fire was extinguished. The flames singed the hair on my head and legs. Component availability: Documentation including photographs, police report, and medical records are available. Safety risk: A fuel-fed explosion at an active gasoline pump created an extreme and immediate risk of death or serious injury to me the station attendants and others. Dealer/manufacturer confirmation: GM subsequently issued NHTSA Recall 25V536, acknowledging the defect — fuel spillage during refueling can contact the left-side radiator cooling fan, which remains active even with the ignition off, causing ignition. This recall directly confirms the defect that caused my incident. Insurance inspection: The police and Geico inspected the vehicle. No warnings at all.