2008 Chevrolet Aveo

There was no prior warnings or notices that there was an issue. While diving on a major road with my children, smoke started coming into the cabin from the vents, and around the stereo. Luckily I was near a very vacant parking lot and immediately pulled over. I removed the kids from the car safely and did open the hood to try troubleshoot the problem. There was no smoke anywhere under the hood. Immediately after, sparks started falling from under the steering wheel to the gas pedal. Immediately after that the car was engulfed in flames. The car is currently located at my local police impound and is available for inspection upon request. From the time the smoke started to when the car was engulfed, it was approximately 5 minutes. This could have been dangerous had we been on a highway and unable to pull over and get out of the car safely within that time. It was only inspected briefly by the fire department who arrived to put out the fire and they reported it was an electrical issue that caused the fire.

CHIEF DEFICIENCY: HEADLIUGHTS HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY STOPPED ILLUMINATING. NO HIGH OR LOW BEAM FUNCTION OF THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER HEADLAMPS. BULBS WERE JUST REPLACED BECAUSE LIGHTS WERE DIMMING. UPON REPLACEMENT IT WAS NOTED THAT THE PASSENGER PLUG IN/SOCKET WAS PARTIALLY MELTED. WORKED FINE FOR 20 DAYS; NOW NO HEADLIGHTS AT ALL. THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AFTER DARK. I FOUND THERE IS A GM RECALL CAMPAIGN 14236, DATED 19MAY2014: RECALL # 14V261000 FOR EXTERIOR HEADLIGHTS. ADDITIONALLY, TO WHAT IS NOTED ABOVE, I HAVE BEEN SMELLING PERIODICAL WHIFFS OF OZONE WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THESE PAST FEW DAYS. THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DRL).

ON MONDAY OCTOBER 20, 2008 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT, THAT I BELIEVE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO FAULTY BRAKES. ON TWO PRIOR OCCASIONS, DIFFERENT LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS WERE CONTACTED. ON THE 2ND VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE NEVER "ADJUSTED" WHEN THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, AND MADE AN ADJUSTMENT. THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE "GLAZED" DUE TO THE PRESSURE ON THEM, AND NOT EQUAL PRESSURE ON ALL FOUR BRAKES. THEY STATED THEY CLEANED THE FRONT BRAKES THE BEST THEY COULD. THE BRAKES NEVER SEEMED TO BE COMPLETELY CORRECTED--MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS "COLD". THE PROBLEM WAS ERRATIC. PUMPING THE BRAKES PRIOR TO DRIVING BECAME A NECESSITY. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON DRY ASPHALT, WHEN THE BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE 2008 CHEVROLET AVEO (APPX 5650 TOTAL MILES) COULD NOT MAKE A COMPLETE OR IMMEDIATE STOP WITH THESE BRAKES. A STOPPED PICKUP TRUCK WAS HIT IN THE REAR. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AT THE SCENE. BY NM LAW, A POLICE REPORT IS ONLY REQUIRED IF THERE IS A REPORTED INJURY. SINCE BOTH DRIVERS EXCHANGED INFORMATION, AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE SCENE ON THEIR OWN, NO IMMEDIATE REPORTS WERE FILED UNTIL OCTOBER 24, 2008. ON OCTOBER 25, 2008 AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED BY JUST BRAKES, IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM. THE STATIC TEST FAILED THE FIRST TWO TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COLD. A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS AN ERRATIC PROBLEM WITH THE VACUUM BOOSTER. *TR