NHTSA Complaint #10093131 — 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE

(1) ON 9/7/04 I PURCHASED A 2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE VAN. IT IS A WB EDITION WITH TWO SLIDING SIDE DOORS. ON 9/19/04 THREE OF MY FOUR CHILDREN AND MYSELF WERE PICKING MY FINACE' UP FROM WORK ON OLD RT. 66 IN OATMAN AZ. I CLIMBED INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER GOT INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE, FIRST ROW OF BACK SEATS, CLOSED THE DOOR, AND BUCKLED HER SEAT-BELT. MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER BEGAN GETTING INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE FIRST ROW OF SEATS, AND MY FIANCE INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT. MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD HER RIGHT HAND RRESTING ON THE DOOR HANDLE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR. (2)MY SON, OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR, ENGAGING THE POWER DOOR RESPONSE, AND BEFORE MY 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ([XXX]) COULD REMOVER HER HAND FROM THE DOOR HANDLE, HER ELBOW WAS PINNED TO THE BACK OF HER SEAT, AND THE DOOR CONTINUED TO OPEN. THERE WAS A "POP" AND HER ARM WAS BROKEN. BOTH BONES IN HER RIGHT FORE-ARM WERE LEFT WITH GREEN STICK FRACTURES. (3) I PHONED THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING DAY, AND REQUESTED A RETURN OF MY VEHICLE AS I NO LONGER FELT SAFE IN IT. THEY DENIED MY REQUEST, AND WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE 30 DAY RETURN LAW, THE SALES MANAGER SAID THERE WAS NO SUCH LAW. I PHONED GM THEN, AND FILED A COMPAINT. I WAS GIVEN A FILE NUMBER OF [XXX], AND TOLD THAT LEGAL *MAY* CONTACT ME IN 48-72 HOURS IF THEY DIDN'T DENY MY CLAIM. LEGAL CALLED THE NEXT MORNING. I SPOKE WITH [XXX], AND SHE TOLD ME THAT CLAIMS WOULD CALL IN 7-10 DAYS. CLAIMS CALLED THE NEXT MORNING, AND I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER FILE NUMBER OF [XXX]. THE WOMAN IN CLAIMS TOLD ME HOW TO DISABLE THE POWER DOORS IN MY VAN, AND I HAVE DONE SO. OPENING THEM NOW WITHOUT THE POWER TAKES A PRETTY STRONG ARM, BUT THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE AS OF YET. *AK PE04064.PCO INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR