10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,000 miles

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problem #1

Oct 132004

Silverado 3500 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,000 miles
On Oct 13, 2004 my 2002 Chevy truck, 2500hd 4WD crew cab, was struck head on by another vehicle and a fire was started under the hood on the drivers side. This fire was extinguished several times by small extinguishers but kept coming back until there was no extinguisher left. The result was the total distruction of this vehicle. My family and I and a friend (4) were in this vehicle and fortunately got out prior to the truck being totally engulfed by fire. We recognize that if anyone of use were pinned in this vehicle more than we were, we would not be here today. The truck was totally burned up in 5-10 minutes before the fire department arrived. We are concerned that there is no safety mechanism to shut down the fuel pump after a head-on collision like this one. Everyone I talked to told me nothing could be done because you were not seriously burned. Our injuries were miner compared to what they could have been if I could not have gotten out. I want to propose a sensor be added to recognize airbag deployment and then shutdown power or fuel. This will save lives for anyone less fortunate than my family. Does a life need to be given before change is made? if I can help maker this vehicle safer, I will have felt I have been heard. The failure was that the fuel pump kept running after the collision and should have had a way to shut it down automatically.

- Austin, TX, USA