I'm just recovering from an engine (?) fire that consumed my 1999 GTP. No, I wasn't hurt, but my beloved car was totaled out. The entire engine compartment was engulfed in flames, and it burned out the complete engine area....game over.

I'd been having electrical problems (key stuck in ignition, various windows refusing to go down) intermittantly, but on the day in question, strangely everything was fine. I drove the car 40 miles to work, drove 40 miles home without incident. I got home and parked the car....then I went in my house to make dinner. 10 minutes later, my neighbor knocked on my door to tell me that my car was in flames!! Fire was shooting out from under my hood, as well as plumes of thick grey black smoke. After it was all over, everything under the hood was completely detroyed. Strangely enough though, the rest of the car was fine! I've been reading about people having the same type of fires in these models...has anyone else had a similar experience?

I've included some pictures of the aftermath.

The happy ending was when I got my new Pontiac G6 GTP this month!

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/438cbf11_f3e3/bc/My+Documents/345.jpg?bfEZijDBfa1TMtek

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/438cbf11_f3e3/bc/My+Documents/123.jpg?bfEZijDBFwwvCBpJ

Hey Netjunky,
I just read about the fire in your 1999 Grand Prix. Almost the exact same thing happened to me March 24, 2006 in my 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix. Can you give me some advice on how you handled the situation? I am getting no help from GM.
If you want you can use my personal email address at baedens5584@hotmail.com.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Edens

The L67s tend to catch on fire quite a bit, actually

Ok, now I am confused. What are you talking about L67s. My car was a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GT. There is no reason why it should have caught fire and burned.

Ok, now I am confused. What are you talking about L67s. My car was a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GT. There is no reason why it should have caught fire and burned.


the GTPs engine is the L67, which are known to catch fire, the GTs have the L36. I mentioned the L67 because this thread was about a GTP, you responded saying that you had the same problem with your GP, therefore I took it as you had a GTP too

I am not really sure why you would be going after GM because of the engine fire though, people have insurance on their cars for a reason and car fires should definitely be covered by insurance

my grand prix also caught fire was having same problem with windows also before it happened.Put out fire before it was a total loss but finding a wiring harness was a nightmare.

Well Jeremy,
I am going after GM because there is no reason why a car should just up and catch fire and burn. Although there was insurance on the car, I had not planned for the insurance to have to pay off on this car at all. Do you honestly think that people should buy a new car and a few years later have it burn for no reason at all. This is not the way GM should be doing business. If I had known that Grand Prixs had the tendency of catching fire for not reason at all and burning I definitely would not have purchased it. You know what scares me is that me and my daughter could have been in that car when it burned and possibly have lost our lives. Does that make it better? Would we have to lose our lives before someone sits up and takes notice? I am grateful that we weren't in the car but we could have been and could have possibly lost our lives. But I guess my other children could have said well she had insurance on the damn car. This is absolutely insane to think that just because someone has insurance on their car that it is alright for it to burn. Wrong, Jeremy. Grow up.

I have also had window problems in my Grand Prix at least three times since I bought my car in 1999. In addition, I have had air conditioning and radio volume control problems. Though these problems have been aggravating, I have enjoyed driving my Grand Prix GTP. Yesterday, my wife and two empoyees had driven my car to Tulsa and parked. Only several minutes later our rep came into their class and announced there was a red Grand Prix on fire in the parking lot. It was my car! I talked to a firefighter by phone and he said it appeared the engine was a total loss and he thought it was an electrcal fire. Of course I have good comprehensive coverage but I am sure my car will be totaled. I have taken excellant car of my Grand Prix but I will certainly not recoup the financial investment in my car. And, if anyone had been driving the car I am sure the danger would be multiplied. If Pontiac knows the GrandPrix is having electrical problems and engine fires, is it not their resonsibility to recall these cars and fix the problems or notify consumers before someone is injured or killed?

Bigger question....could GM survive a recall?

I'm sure they know about it but are probably waiting to be forced to deal with it rather than volunteering.

How many burned alive in pintos and crown vics? How many were hurt in rolling explorers before Ford did anything?

I'm just recovering from an engine (?) fire that consumed my 1999 GTP. No, I wasn't hurt, but my beloved car was totaled out. The entire engine compartment was engulfed in flames, and it burned out the complete engine area....game over.

I'd been having electrical problems (key stuck in ignition, various windows refusing to go down) intermittantly, but on the day in question, strangely everything was fine. I drove the car 40 miles to work, drove 40 miles home without incident. I got home and parked the car....then I went in my house to make dinner. 10 minutes later, my neighbor knocked on my door to tell me that my car was in flames!! Fire was shooting out from under my hood, as well as plumes of thick grey black smoke. After it was all over, everything under the hood was completely detroyed. Strangely enough though, the rest of the car was fine! I've been reading about people having the same type of fires in these models...has anyone else had a similar experience?

I've included some pictures of the aftermath.

The happy ending was when I got my new Pontiac G6 GTP this month!

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/438cbf11_f3e3/bc/My+Documents/345.jpg?bfEZijDBfa1TMtek

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/438cbf11_f3e3/bc/My+Documents/123.jpg?bfEZijDBFwwvCBpJ


We are just recovering from an engine fire in our 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. Has anyone had any luck with GM or finding someone to help out in this situation. Has anyone thought of a possible class action suit?

Any information would be helpful. Sorry for everyone's losses.
jdipalma@iwon.com

I own a 99' gtp and I love the car, but I would rather it not catch fire. Does anyone know how to prevent this, or any other clues that the car has before it happens? This is a great car I want to keep it as long as I can, but if it catches fire that almost makes me want to get rid of it. Any suggestions?

Wow, was I ever surprised to see these posts. Two nights ago our son's 1999 Grand Prix started smoking from the hood and within minutes was totally engulfed in flames. Thank goodness no one was in the vehicle. The only thing salvagable was the rear license plate. I have been in touch with GM Canada and am sure it will be pass the buck until I give up. But I am not going to. Our son is just beginning his electrical apprenticeship and $$ are tight for him soooo I did not put fire and theft on his insurance. Hindsight is wonderful isn't it??? We live in a rural community and never thought fire or theft would be a problem. He is devastated as he is now left paying for a car he no longer has.

Has anyone else had this problem? The only thing that was wrong with the car was sometimes the driver's window wouldn't go up or go up very very slowly. The car was a gem only 96,000 kilometers on it... I told him it is just a car. But, GM needs to do something before someone is hurt. Cars just don't start on fire...

Regards

Bixxli

I have a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP and this same exact thing just happened to me on Saturday September 16th, two days ago. I was working when a customer came in and told me there was a Grand Prix in the parking lot was on fire. It had been sitting there for a half hour. The fire department came out and had to put the fire out. I haven't found out what they are going to do with the car yet, but the firemen told me they believed that it was electrical. I couldn't even believe when I saw all the others it has happened too. Any advice on what to do about any of it?

Thanks, Kim

wow! actually makes me glad to have a pre 1997 GP! GM should do something about this, it is good tho that nobody has been badly hurt or injured in any of these cases.

Gm has informed us they take no responsibility as they sent an Investigator (hired by them of course) and he could not determine cause of fire due to severe damage. Therefore, GM cannot take responsibility. Now we have to go another route.... GM needs someone to rattle their cage before someone is injured

umm... ok, folks -- things happen. there are a LOT of Grand Prixs out there. If you drive a car and don't look into an electrical problem when you KNOW something is shorting somewhere at times, don't be surprised if you end up with bigger problems by ignoring it.

and for those that had no forewarning -- things happen sometimes. it might not BE GM's fault. It could be that someone yanked on something they shouldn't have when they were under your hood doing something ELSE at some point. if there were a high incidence of fires in cars from 97-present, believe me... lawyers would have already gotten a hold of that and RAN with it. Naturally, a lot of cars means there could be a high number of incidents -- but the percentage could be lower than is even expected for fires. And, anyone that doesn't put full coverage on a car that isn't paid for knows they might end up paying even if the car is gone. It's called calculated risk, and you knew you were taking it when you omitted the coverage from your policy.

This is a "pass the buck" society these days, and you folks that are complaining of "passing the buck" are only trying to pass the buck on to someone else yourselves. Accidents happen, this is WHY we have insurance. There are some things that even GM can't prevent. No automaker can prevent every future fire from happening to their cars no more than they can prevent a rock from breaking the windshield on one of their cars. Or maybe we should make them pay for that, too?

BTW -- If an insurance company pays a claim and thinks they have a chance in hell of recovering funds -- trust me when I tell you that they WILL subrogate and make an attemtp to recoup their loss. Voice your opinion to your insurance company and their legal dept can take it from there. If they recover the funds, they apply it against your claim and it's like it never happened. No one should profit from an unfortunate incident, but I know there are folks that will try to.

Really!! Yes, all kinds of cars go up in smoke. But is it not "strange" how it is all 1999 Grand Prix with the exact same symptoms. /That my dear is not just a fluke. Get off your high horse there someone could get hurt ... no one is trying to profit from this.

there aren't enough incidents to call it more than a coincidence, and if someone has insurance and they're going after GM on it instead of letting the company handle it... they probably ARE trying to profit from it. i see it every day, folks get dollar signs in their eyes and lose all sense of reason.

Lisa... you can't lump all people in the same ball... we have NO dollar signs ... and believe you me we have lots of reason... This is an incident whereby a vehicle and others exactly like it have burnt in the same exact way. This is NO coincidence and before someone is seriously hurt or perhaps a child in a car seat in the back that can't get out... GM needs to fess up to this potentially life threatening thermal incident. By the way, I see it every day too where people look down their noses at others and make quick judgements. Get the facts before you get on your high horsie... Have a great day!!

Hello all, kinda new here and i was trying to find information on a GTP. I have just read this an a few other threads about the GTPs ketching fire...bah...i really wanted to get one, any advice on what years have the problems? Sorry for the cruidity on knowledge.