2011 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WHERE THE AIR BAG COMPARTMENT WAS LOCATED WAS FRACTURED IN TWO SEPARATE LOCATIONS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

CRACKED DASHBOARD. THE DASHBOARD IN MY 2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN CRACKED IN TWO PLACES ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ON MAY 8, 2017. THE CRACKS EXTEND FROM THE SEAM NEAR THE WINDSHIELD TO THE FRONT SEAM OF THE DASH BOARD. ONE IS CLOSE TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AN THE OTHER LEADS FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG HOUSING. I WAS DRIVING ON A WELL PAVED, FOUR LANE ROAD WITH A CENTER TURNING LANE. THE ROAD IS WELL TRAVELLED AND WELL MAINTAINED. AS I STOPPED AT THE FIRST LIGHT, I HEARD A CRACKING AND THEN A CLICKING SOUND. THE DASHBOARD NOW VIBRATES WHILE DRIVING AND IS VISIBLY LOOSE.

WHILE COMMUTING TO WORK ON INTERSTATE 15, NORTHBOUND ON FEBRUARY 1, 2017, WITH MY TWO SONS IN THE VEHICLE, I SMELLED SMOKE. I PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE AND REALIZED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS ON FIRE (PICTURES ATTACHED). I NOTICED THE SWITCH FOR THE HEATED SEAT WAS ON, SO I TURNED IT OFF. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN BUTTE, MT (APPROX. 15 MILES) AND HAD THEM DISCONNECT THE ELECTRICAL TO THE SEAT AND ENSURE IT WAS NOT STILL BURNING. THIS DISABLED THE POWER SEAT, SEAT HEATER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAGS. I CONTACTED GM PRODUCT SERVICES TO INFORM THEM AND THEY STARTED A SERVICE REQUEST, NUMBER 8-2712194856. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN DILLON, MT WHERE I LIVE FOR INSPECTION. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP FINISHED THE INSPECTION AND SENT THEIR FINDINGS TO GM PRODUCT SERVICES I WAS INFORMED BY THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP SPECIALIST AT GM THAT THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION AND CLOSED THE CASE ON MY "PRODUCT ALLEGATION", CONCLUDING IT WAS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" THAT CAUSED THE SEAT TO CATCH FIRE AND THAT GM WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY REPAIR OR DAMAGES. WHEN I ASKED HOW TO PROCEED WITH APPEAL OF THEIR DECISION, I WAS INFORMED THEIR DECISION WAS FINAL AND NON-APPEALABLE. I REQUESTED WRITTEN RECORD OF THEIR FINDINGS TO WHICH THEY SENT THE ATTACHED LETTER STATING THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY AND SUGGESTED I RESOLVE THE MATTER WITH MY INSURANCE CARRIER. THEIR LETTER STATED NOTHING SPECIFIC OF THEIR FINDINGS DURING THE INSPECTION. I REQUESTED INFO FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT DID THE INSPECTION AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT RELEASE THAT INFORMATION WITHOUT CONSENT FROM GM. MY INSURANCE CARRIER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DOCUMENTED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.

DASHBOARD IS CRACKING IN DIFFERENT SPOTS, 2 PLACES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. I'M CONCERNED THAT IT CAN POSSIBLY COME APART WHILE I'M DRIVING. THE CRACKS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. I KNOW THE CRACK NEXT TO THE AIRBAG CRACKED BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS TO THIN TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE SPEAKER IN THE DASH, I'M GUESSING THE REST OF THE DASH IS ALSO MADE THE SAME WAY, SO ANY VIBRATION OR HITTING ANY POTHOLES IS CAUSING IT TO BREAK. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THESE GMS AND GMCS IN THE MID TO LATE 2000S. SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE ABOUT IT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT WHILE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES. GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO MUCH FOR THE GOVERNMENT BAILOUT! *TR

I HAVE 3 CRACKS IN THE DASH OF MY SUBURBAN. 1 IS IN THE FAR LEFT, FRONT CORNER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG, AND THE OTHER 2 ARE IN FRONT OF THE STEERING WHEEL, ABOUT 8 INCHES APART. MY CONCERN, ASIDE FROM PAYING SO MUCH MONEY FOR A VEHICLE AND HAVING THE DASH CRACK FOR NO REASON, IS THAT THE AIRBAG BEING DEPLOYED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MAY SEND PLASTIC PIECES FLYING AT THE PASSENGERS FACE. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE PRODUCTION OF THESE DASHES, AS I HAVE READ OTHER PEOPLE STATE THE SAME ISSUE, IN THE SAME SPOTS. I ENCOURAGE GENERAL MOTORS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS PART, AS IT COULD POSE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED DURING THE PERIOD THE DASH CRACKED. *TR