2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

I PURCHASED A 2001 CHEVY MONTE CARLO SS IN 9-01. I DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL RECENTLY THE ENGINE WAS BUILT 2000. I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED. MY CAR HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. THE RECENT OCCURRED JULY 20TH 2019. MY ODOMETER IS 117,166 ORIGINAL MILES. THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS AND UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD IS ALL MADE OF A PLASTIC. I WENT TO START MY CAR WHICH HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE. AROUND 6-7:00 PM I HEARD A LOUD BOOM. IT STARTLED ME AND MY NIEGHBORS EVEN CAME OUT. I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE. I POPPED THE HOOD AND FLAMES WERE SHOOTING STRAIGHT UP THE FIREWALL ONTO THE INSIDE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY SCREAMED GET ME WATER AND NOTICED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. I SMASHED THE GLASS GRABBED IT AND BEGAN TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. REMIND YOU THE CAR HAS A COVER I WAS USING BOTH HANDS REMOVED THE OIL CAP PULLED THE COVER AND STILL SPRAYING I PUT THE COVER OUT AND CONTINUED WITH THE ENGINE PLACING THE OIL CAP TO PREVENT CROSS CONTAMINATION. I WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE I HAD CUTS TO MY HAND AND IT SINGED THE HAIR ON MY ARMS AND MY WRIST HAD A SLIGHT BURN. HOWEVER, I HAVE KNOW IDEA HOW I WAS OVER LOOKED ON THE 5-17-04 FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR RECALL PART #03064B MY CAR IS A 3.8 LITRE K SERIES. IF I WOULD HAVE HAD MY GRANDDAUGHTER SHE IS IN A CAR SEAT THE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THE FLAMES WERE SO HIGH THEY ALMOST REACHED THE TREE BRANCH. THE SCARY PART IS GMAC IS AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE FIRE AND IS TRYING TO SETTLE WITH ME FOR MINIMAL AMOUNT. I JUST SPENT THOUSANDS BECAUSE THE CAR HIT 100,000 SO NEW RADIATOR, TUNE UP ETC. THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE PURCHASE AND TO THINK I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A TIME BOMB. LUCKILY I WASN'T IN TRAFFIC OR IN A PLACE WHERE I HAD TO PULL MY GRANDDAUGHTER OUT AND THE CAR SEAT BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CAR WOULD HAVE BURNED. I HONESTLY THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. I CAN ACTUALLY SHOVE MY FIST IN THAT UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. SEE COMPLAINT ODI112351110

ENGINE BACKFIRED AND EXPLODED UPON IGNITION AFTER SITTING FOR A WEEK. ENGINE WAS COLD AND IN COLD WEATHER. 3 FOOT FLAMES, MINOR BURNS AND INJURIES SUSTAINED ER VISIT FOR SMOKE INHALATION WHILE EXTINGUISHING FIRE. VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. A NEIGHBOR'S CAR THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL SIMILAR YEAR DID THE SAME THING A FEW WEEKS AGO.

PROBLEM 1: DRIVING NEAR MY HOME AND VEHICLE QUIT ON ME. GAS GAUGE SHOWED FULL BUT COME TO FIND OUT, I WAS OUT OF GAS. GOOD THING I WASN'T TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, LIKE INTERSTATE DRIVING. PROBLEM 2: VEHICLE WOULDN'T START, I'M BEING TOLD IT IS THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM. SECURITY LIGHT HAS ONLY COME ON 1 TIME. I NEVER KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO START. VERY WORRIED WHEN I TRAVEL BY MYSELF. THESE HAVE HAPPENED AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE TEMP GAUGE DROPPEF TO ZERO, AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING, AND CAR BEGAN TO STRUGGLE. I PULLED THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY TO SEE IF WAS DUMPING COOLANT PUT. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP AND HE NEW WHAT WAS WRONG BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE CARS COME IN WITH THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO HAVE THE TIMING COVER REPLACED AND THE ECT SENSOR. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS HAPPENS OFTEN AS GM CARS HAVE THESE ISSUES. WAS ALSO TOLD IT LOOKED AS IF THE CAR OVERHEATED AND WAS LUCKY IT DIDN'T BLOW UP ON THE HIGHWAY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HEARD AN EXPLODING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE AND REALIZED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD EXPLODED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE STRONG FUMES OF FUEL AND OIL OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LATER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V701000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE PARTS AND PERMANENT REMEDY WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE A SPECIFIC DATE THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE PART TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE TO GO TO CHURCH SUNDAY WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW. I TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION FROM UNDER THE HOOD THAT MADE THE HOOD JUMP AND SOME SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE SIDES. IT SCARED MY MOTHER-IN-LAW HALF TO DEATH. OUR COMPANY MECHANIC CHECKED THE ENGINE AND DETERMINED THE INTAKE HAD EXPLODED. HE CHECKED ON-LINE AS TO A PROBABLE CAUSE AND DISCOVERED THERE WAS A RECALL ON VARIOUS PONTIAC, BUICK AND CHEVY VEHICLES WITH 3.8L ENGINES DUE TO INTAKE EXPLOSIONS DUE TO FAULTY FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS. IN SOME CASES IT SEEMS TO HAVE BENT A FUEL RAIL AND PULLED AN INJECTOR OUT OF THE HEAD, WHICH IT LOOKS TO HAVE DONE TO MINE ALSO. HE TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD HIM THERE WERE 3 RECALLS LISTED FOR THIS CAR AND THAT WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. ONE OF THE LISTED RECALLS WAS FOR THE IGNITION WHICH WE TOOK IT IN FOR AND IT STILL STICKS. OUR MECHANIC CHECKED YOUR WEB-SITE AND DID FIND RECALLS FOR THIS EXPLOSION PROBLEM. SOME OF THE STATEMENTS PEOPLE POSTED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING RESULTED IN FIRES AS WELL AS THE EXPLOSION SO THIS SEEMS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD. WHY IS OUR CAR NOT LISTED WITH THE DEALER FOR THIS RECALL ? THOUGH IT IS TITLED AS A 2001 IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 09/00 SO SEEMS IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT DID THE EXACT SAME THING AS THE OTHERS. THEY WANT OVER $700 TO FIX THE INTAKE, REGULATOR AND GASKET AND I SHOULD NOT BE LIABLE FOR WHAT IS APPARENTLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, AND THAT'S IF IT DIDN'T CAUSE MORE DAMAGE WHEN IT EXPLODED.