NHTSA Complaint #10174192 — 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ADJUST THE DRIVER'S SEAT IN MY 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO PICKUP TRUCK, I FOUND THE SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE. MOVING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH IN AN EFFORT TO LOCK IT, SOMETHING APPEARED TO BREAK CAUSING THE SEAT TO MOVE QUICKLY FORWARD, PINNING ME AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL. I LATER FOUND A SMALL PLASTIC FRAGMENT ON THE FLOOR AND ASSUMED IT WAS PART OF THE TRACK LOCKING SYSTEM. THE SEAT NOW WAS COMPLETELY FREE IN ITS MOVEMENT FORWARD AND BACKWARD, EXTENDING TO THE LIMIT IN EACH DIRECTION. I TOOK THE BROKEN PIECE TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS, INDEED, PART OF THE "SEAT ADJUSTMENT" MECHANISM, AND, WHEN BROKEN, THE SEAT WOULD MOVE WITHOUT RESTRICTION FORWARD OR BACKWARD. WHEN I QUESTIONED WHY SUCH A CRITICAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WAS NOT MADE OF METAL (INSTEAD OF PLASTIC), I WAS TOLD THAT "YES, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN." HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS, IF NOT FATAL, CONSEQUENCES. ONCE THE PART BREAKS, ANY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES WILL IMMEDIATELY SLAM THE DRIVER FORWARD INTO THE STEERING WHEEL WITH CONSIDERABLE FORCE. THE OPPOSITE EFFECT IS ALSO FELT WHEN ACCELERATING. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE PART BROKE BEFORE I HAD LEFT THE CURB. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DESIGN AND SYSTEM. THESE PARTS SHOULD BE MANUFACTURED FROM HARDENED STEEL INSTEAD OF PLASTIC MATERIAL (EVEN NYLON.) AT BEST THE SURPRISED DRIVER IS IMMEDIATELY AND TOTALLY DISTRACTED; AT WORST, HE IS TOTALLY INCAPABLE OF MAINTAINING CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE, BEING SLAMMED FORWARD AND BACKWARD AS HE APPLIES BRAKING OR ACCELERATION. THE COST OF REPAIR OF THIS CONDITION IS APPROXIMATELY $400. AND SHOULD NOT BE BORNE BY THE CONSUMER. GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD ADDRESS THE TYPE OF MATERIAL USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THESE PARTS FOR FUTURE VEHICLES, AND RECALL AND REPLACE THEM ON OLDER MODELS. NOTE: MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 56K MILES. *NM