NHTSA Complaint #10137503 — 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA

TURNING INTO MY MOTHER'S DRIVEWAY, I APPLIED THE FOOT BRAKE. THE TOE OF MY SHOE HIT THE PANEL ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE DASH. AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO RELEASE THE PEDAL, THE PANEL FELL ONTO AND BLOCKED THE PEDALS. THE PANEL WAS TETHERED BY A BULB, SOCKET AND CABLE. I COULD NO LONGER REACH OR OPERATE THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. ALTHOUGH GOING VERY SLOWLY, BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO STOP I HAD CRASHED INTO MY MOTHER'S GARAGE DOOR. ONE OF 2 PLASTIC CLIPS BROKE WHEN THE TOE OF MY SHOE STRUCK IT CAUSING IT TO FALL AND BLOCKING THE USE OF THE PEDALS. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED AT 60 MPH, I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. MY ASSESSMENT IS "FAULTY DESIGN" OF THE PANEL AND CLIPS. STRIKING THE PANEL WITH THE TOE OF THE SHOE SHOULD NOT BREAK THE FASTENERS SUCH THAT THE PANEL FALLS AND MAKES THE PEDALS UNREACHABLE AND UNUSABLE. *NM