NHTSA Complaint #10150873 — 2004 CHEVROLET VENTURE

2004 CHEVY VENTURE-THIS VEHICLE WAS OUR CHOICE DUE TO THE CONNIVANCE WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, NOW AGES 2 AND 3 YEARS OLD. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INCIDENCES IN WHICH MY ARM HAS BEEN BRUISED BY THE POWER DOOR MECHANISM. ONE OF SUCH INCIDENCES I HAD TAKEN BOTH CHILDREN OUT OF THE CAR AND WAS REACHING BACK INSIDE THE REAR LEFT DOOR TO RETRIEVE THE DIAPER BAG. SOMEHOW THE DOOR MECHANISM WAS TRIGGERED TO CLOSE. I THOUGHT IF I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE DOOR IT WOULD REVERSE HOWEVER THIS MECHANISM IS SEVERELY DELAYED. THUS THE DOOR MECHANISM WAS NOT TRIGGERED TO REVERSE UNTIL MY ARM WAS COMPLETELY SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE DOOR & DOOR FRAME. BY THE TIME THE DOOR REVERSED MY ARM WAS SORE AND BRUISED. I HAVE OBVIOUSLY LEARNED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS WITH THIS DOOR NOT TO GET A BODY PART TRAPPED IN THIS DOOR SINCE THAT OCCASION. THIS CAUTIOUSNESS EXTENDS TO BEING OBSESSIVE ABOUT MY CHILDREN AND THEIR ABILITY TO REACH THE DOOR BUTTON & BEING ABLE TO HAVE A LIMB OBSTRUCTING THE DOOR. WE MAKE SURE THE CHILDREN ARE IMMEDIATELY BUCKLED INTO THEIR CAR SEATS TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN NOT OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR. HOWEVER THE FACT THAT I AS A 23 YEAR OLD ADULT HAS TO APPLY CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE TO REVERSE THE DOOR WORRIES ME. ONE DAY I CHOSE TO TEST THE DOOR TO SEE HOW MUCH PRESSURE I WOULD HAVE TO APPLY TO REVERSE THE DOOR I FOUND THAT APPLYING AS MUCH PRESSURE WITH ONE HAND AS POSSIBLE I WAS STILL UNABLE TO REVERSE THE DOOR UNTIL THE DOOR IS WITH IN 4 INCHES OF THE DOOR FRAME REQUIRING AS MUCH PRESSURE AS I WOULD HAVE TO APPLY TO OPERATE A LAWN MOWER. MY CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF STRENGTH IN ANY LIMB OF THEIR BODIES. IF FOR SOME REASON THEY WOULD BE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEIR LIMB WOULD BE OBSTRUCTING THIS DOOR THEY WOULD NO DOUBT SUFFER EXTREME INJURY. AS A MOTHER THEIR SAFETY REST ON ME AND I FEEL THAT I AM DOING ALL I CAN TO PREVENT AN INJURY WITH THIS SITUATION HOWEVER I TRULY WISH FOR THIS MOTORIZED MECHANISM TO BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED. *NM