NHTSA Complaint #10176171 — 2001 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO

I OWN A 2001 CHEVY MONTE CARLO WHICH WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION. AFTER GETTING ESTIMATES ON REPAIR WORK, I CHOSE AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR CENTER TO PERFORM ALL NECESSARY REPAIRS. THE REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT IN ORDER FOR MY VEHICLE TO MEET FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS, NEW PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS, AS WELL AS A NEW SENSITIVITY DIAGNOSTIC MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE INSTALLED. I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT ORIGINAL PARTS WOULD HAVE TO BE USED BECAUSE AFTERMARKET PARTS COULD NOT BE USED. THE ORIGINAL G.M. PARTS WERE ORDERED FROM PARKER BANKS CHEVROLET IN POTOSI MISSOURI. UPON INSTALLATION OF THESE PARTS, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT LIGHT COULD NOT BE RESET AND SHOWED THAT THE MODULE WAS BAD EVEN AFTER BEING PLUGGED INTO A VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. PARKER BANKS TECHNICIANS NOTICED THAT THE PART NUMBER FOR THE MODULE THEY ORDERED WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL PART NUMBER. AFTER CONTACTING GENERAL MOTORS, THEY WERE INFORMED THAT THE DESIGN HAD BEEN CHANGED AND / OR MODIFIED, AND THAT THE ORIGINAL PARTS WOULD NOT WORK UNLESS CHANGES OR ALTERATIONS WERE MADE TO OTHER AREAS OF THE VEHICLE. THESE ALTERATIONS WOULD CAUSE ME TO INCUR OTHER EXPENSES FOR WORK TO BE DONE TO THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS NOT A RESULT OF DAMAGE CAUSED IN THE COLLISION. GENERAL MOTORS IS REFUSING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SITUATION, EVEN THOUGH THEY INTENTIONALLY CHANGED THE FUNCTION OF MANDATED SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR THIS VEHICLE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT CHANGES SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE FUNCTION OF THE REQUIRED FEDERAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR THIS VEHICLE UNLESS A RECALL WAS ISSUED, AND I BELIEVE THAT GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING THESE CHANGES TO MY VEHICLE, AND THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD NOT FALL ON ME, THE CONSUMER. *NM