Naader says his 2002 Buick Regal was totaled when his engine caught fire in February. He discovered afterward that GM had put out an engine fire safety recall for his vehicle back in 2008, but he had never gotten word of the move. Now Naader says GM is stonewalling him on the compensation front.

He writes:

On 02/24/10, my 2002 Buick Regal suffered an engine compartment fire ten minutes after I parked the car at my workplace and shut off the engine. The fire consumed everything under the hood until the San Bernardino City Fire Department extinguished the blaze.

I contacted the GM Product Allegation Department on 02/26/10, after discovering that my car had been under April 2008 GM safety recall 03075 for Engine Compartment Fires. GM had failed to inform me of the recall, and I wanted to see what the manufacturer would do to compensate me for my loss.

Paul Olle, Claims Administrator for GM, contacted me by letter to inform me that GM was denying all claims whatsoever. I was told that the California Statute of Limitations on Warranties expired four years from the date of original purchase. Since the car was originally purchased in 2002, this meant that the warranty expired in 2007.

However, I was contacting them regarding a recall claim and a failure to inform me of the recall. I was not contacting them regarding a warranty claim. I simply wanted to be compensated for the loss caused by their failure to inform me of the safety recall. Instead, GM ignored my claim entirely.

Will you be willing to intervene on my behalf and assist me with the recall/ failure to inform claim? I believe that as manufacturer of my automobile, GM has a responsibility to ensure the safety and reliability of their vehicles. I would like them to repair or replace my vehicle, at their cost, since they neglected to inform me of the safety recall.

What do you think Naader’s next move should be?

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.