1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Electrical Problems

ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2015, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR MONTE CARLO. UNBEKNOWNST TO HER THE CAR BEGAN SMOKING UNDERNEATH, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL WITH NEITHER STEERING NOR BRAKING CAPABILITY. OTHER DRIVERS, NOTICING THE SMOKE, WERE ATTEMPTING TO NOTIFY HER OF THE IMPENDING FIRE. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ABOUT ANOTHER MILE BEFORE LOSING CONTROL AND CRASHING INTO A TREE ON MY NEIGHBOR?S YARD. THE CAR BECAME COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND WAS DESTROYED. WERE IT NOT FOR SEVERAL GOOD SAMARITANS, AND POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE FOLLOWING IS A HISTORY OF ISSUES WITH THIS CAR, DOCUMENTED FULLY BY SERVICE RECORDS FROM ITS PURCHASE IN 1998. 1.BRAKE LIGHTS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL. 2.TURN SIGNAL FAILURE. 3.UNABLE TO START DUE TO SHORT IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 4.WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY REPLACED. 5.POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. 6.REAR SUSPENSION (PASSENGER'S SIDE) BROKEN. 7.PREMATURE ALTERNATOR FAILURE. 8.PREMATURE BRAKE REPLACEMENT, I.E., PADS, CALIPERS, ROTORS. 9.TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE FROM HARD BRAKING (INCIDENT NOT CONNECTED WITH FIRE) 10.INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED DUE TO COOLANT FLOWING INTO CYLINDERS AND CRANKCASE. 11.PREMATURE RADIATOR REPLACEMENT. 12.ELECTRICAL SPIKE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH SYSTEM WHEN STARTING, CAUSING FULL-SCALE DEFLECTION OF INSTRUMENTATION AND LIGHTS TO BECOME EXTREMELY BRIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10937463

Incident

Sep 24, 2015

Mileage

190,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WITHOUT WARNING WHILE AT A STOP SIGN. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY FAULTY WIRES. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 198,000.

NHTSA ID

10265252

Incident

Nov 1, 2008

Mileage

198,000 mi

MY BRAKE LIGHTS (EXCEPT FOR RAISED THIRD BRAKE LIGHT) HAVE STOPPED WORKING AND EVEN REPLACING A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE JUST LEARNT THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING AND THIS IS AFTER SPENDING $100 AT A DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE PROBLEM! *TR

NHTSA ID

10250009

Incident

Sep 5, 2008

Mileage

103,500 mi

ARRIVED AT WORK AFTER ABOUT A 20 MINUTE DRIVE. WENT TO CHANGE INTO MY UNIFORM AND MY SUPERVISOR PAGED ME OVER THE INTERCOM SYSTEM TELLING ME I HAD TO GET TO MY CAR IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I ARRIVED A CO-WORKER WAS STANDING THERE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AS MY CAR WAS SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I TRIED TO RELEASE THE HOOD BUT THE CABLE HAD MELTED THROUGH. WHILE WAITING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ARRIVE, THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO START ITS SELF CAUSING THE FLAMES TO GET BIGGER AS IT WAS SHOOTING SMOKE OUT OF THE TAILPIPES. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THEY PRECEDED TO GET INTO THE HOOD BY TAKING AN AX AND SAW TO THE HOOD. FIRE FIGHTER SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE SINCE THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL OR OIL. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE CAR IS TOTALED BECAUSE THE ENGINE MELTED, MY WINDSHIELD WAS BLOWN OUT FROM THE HEAT AN SO WAS THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10189325

Incident

Apr 30, 2007

WHILE ON VACATION IN WILLIAMSBURG VA. HEARD ANNOUCMENT OVER THE INTERCOM AT A CRACKER BARREL RESTURAUNT .. OWNER OF WHITE CHEVY MONTE CARLO WITH MD TAGS GO TO YOUR CAR ASAP.. WHEN ARRIVED IN PARKING LOT.. MANAGER OF REST. WAS STANDING NEXT TO MY CAR WITH A FIRE EXT. AND THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES.. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED ONLY ABOUT 4 MILES FROM THE HOTEL WE WERE STAYING AT, SO IT WAS NOT EXTREMELY HOT...THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO BURN UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ( YORK COUNTY) ARRIVED AND RIPPED OPEN THE HOOD BECAUSE THE HOOD LATCH RELEASE CABLE HAD BURNED THROUGH AND YOU COUND NOT GET THE HOOD UP.. THE CAR WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED, ENGINE HAD BEEN RECENTLY DEGREASED AND LOOKED AND DROVE LIKE A NEW CAR... THE CAR HAS BEEN TOTALLED OUT BY ERIE INS CO. AND LEFT IN VA. WE HAD TO GET A RENTAL BACK TO BALTIMORE.... THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AREA WORST BURNED ON THE HOOD WAS RIGHT OVER THE DISTIBUTOR. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED FOR ANY INVESTIGATION... HAS THIS TYPE OF UNEXPECTED ENGINE FIRE OCCURRED IN OTHER 3.1 SERIES CHEVY ENGINE OR MONTE CARLO'S?

NHTSA ID

10081289

Incident

Jul 16, 2004

Mileage

106,000 mi

CIGARETTE LIGHTER FAILS TO FUNCTION- FUSES HAVE BEEN REPLACED- EVEN THO' NOT INDICATED AS FAULTY. ENTIRE UNIT [INNER] HAS BEEN REPLACED AND OUTER LIGHTER PIECES HAVE BEEN REPLACED ALSO - BOTH MULTIPLE TIMES. NEW UNIT WILL FUNCTION FOR SHORT TIME BUT THEN FAILS AGAIN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10058286

Incident

Apr 1, 2001

Mileage

30,000 mi

GM NEW CAR AND PRE-OWNED BUYER BEWARE. I PURCHASED A 1999 MONTE CARLO IN AUGUST 2001 FROM MONDAY CHEVROLET IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THEY INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY BEFORE I COMPLETED THE PURCHASE. I ASSUMED THAT THE 6-YR WARRANTY ON THE BATTERY WAS IN FORCE. OBVIOUSLY, ACDELCO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE "POSITIVE POST" ON THEIR BATTERIES CORRODING AND CAUSING THE POST TO SEPARATE FROM THE BATTERY. THERE ARE MANY CUSTOMERS CHATTING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE WEB. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BATTERY IN MY CAR. IT APPEARS FROM THE POSITION THAT ACDELCO AND GM TAKE ON WARRANTIES THAT I HAVE NEVER OWNED THE BATTERY AND NEVER HAD A WARRANTY ON THE BATTERY. IN FACT, AS THEY EXPLAIN THEIR POSITION, THE PROPER THING FOR A CUSTOMER PURCHASING A NEW GM VEHICLE OR A PRE-OWNED GM VEHICLE THAT HAS A NEW ACDELCO BATTERY IN IT, IS FOR THE PURCHASER TO ASK THE DEALERSHIP TO TAKE OUT THE OE BATTERY, REDUCE THE VEHICLE PRICE IN THAT AMOUNT, AND INSTALL AN ACDELCO BATTERY THAT THE VEHICLE PURCHASER BUYS FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THAT WAY THE BATTERY WARRANTY IS IN THE NAME OF THE PURCHASER AND NOT GM OR THE DEALERSHIP. BECAUSE ON A NEW VEHICLE AFTER 3 YEARS, THERE IS NO WARRANTY ON A 6-YR WARRANTY BATTERY. OR ON A PRE-OWNED, THERE IS NO WARRANTY AFTER 6 MONTHS OR 1-YR (DEPENDS ON NUMBER OF MONTHS YOU GET FROM DEALERSHIP FOR THE ENTIRE VEHICLE)ON A 6-YR WARRANTY BATTERY. THERE MUST BE SOME WAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT OR A REGULATORY AGENCY TO POLICE THIS PROBLEM AND FORCE THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER TO ISSUE THE BATTERY WARRANTY IN THE NAME OF THE PURCHASER AT THE TIME OF SALE. ALSO TO LOOK INTO A RECALL OF ACDELCO BATTERIES. AS I EXPLAINED ABOVE AND THE ACDELCO REPRESENTATIVE AGREED TO, THAT THERE WOULD BE NO COST DIFFERENCE IF A PURCHASER DID THE "PROPER THING" THAT I EXPLAINED ABOVE. NEEDLESSLY TO SAY, I AM UPSET THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT BATTERY FOR A 6-YR WARRANTED BATTERY THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS A FACTORY DEFECT AND SHOULD BE ON RECALL. *LA

NHTSA ID

10047642

Incident

Oct 3, 2003

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ALTERNATOR,BATTERY KEEP ON DYING,THEN CAR WOULDN'T STAR.VEHICLE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH PCM WHICH WAS REPAIR AND THE VEHICLE STILL HAS PROBLEMS.DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND VEHICLE WAS REPAIR BY A INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. NLM

NHTSA ID

8019820

Incident

Sep 18, 2002

WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THE "VOLTS" LIGHT CAME ON. I READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TURN OFF ALL ELECTRONICS SUCH AS RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING ETC. AND NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO A GOODYEAR RETAILER WHO PROVIDED MECHANICAL SERVICE. THEY TESTED THE ALTERNATOR AND SAID THAT IT WAS NOT PUTTING OUT ANY AMPERAGE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECTIVE DESIGN SINCE THE ALTERNATOR IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE ENGINE AND THE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE EVENTUALLY CAUSES THE DIODES WITHIN THE ALTERNATOR TO GO BAD. HE ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS COMMONLY SEEN AROUND 60,000 MILES ON THESE VEHICLES. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH LITTLE WARNING. THIS IS NOT A "MAINTENANCE" ITEM THAT SHOULD GO BAD WITHIN 3 YEARS AND THERE IS NO WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF (SUCH AS A MAINTENANCE CHECK) IF IT HAPPENS. I HAD A TOYOTA FOR 11 YEARS AND ONLY REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR ONCE AFTER 150,000 MILES. NO ALTERNATOR SHOULD GO BAD THIS QUICKLY.*AK

NHTSA ID

751209

Incident

Aug 18, 2001

HORN DOES NOT WORK AND THE AIRBAG IS LOCATED IN THE SAME POD. *AK

NHTSA ID

725935

Incident

Jun 1, 2000