NHTSA Complaint #10317073 — 2004 GMC SIERRA 2500

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 GMC SIERRA WITH MY CAR SEAT WARMERS ON. I SUFFERED 1ST AND 2ND DEGREE BURNS TO MY BACK FROM THE CAR SEAT WARMERS. I HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. THE PAIN WORSENED, AND I IMMEDIATELY SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION. I REPORTED THIS TO GMC CLAIMS ON THE SAME DAY. I HAD PICTURES TAKEN OF MY BACK ON THE DAY OF THE INJURY, AND 2 DAYS LATER. GMC CLAIMS ON FEB 26TH TOLD ME MY CAR SEAT TEMPS (RAYTECH 120.1 F WITH LEATHER ON; 170 F WITH LEATHER OFF) ARE WITHIN NORMAL RANGE AND THIS CLAIM DOES NOT ACTUALLY EVEN NEED TO BE SETTLED BY GMC. THESE TEMPERATURES WERE TAKEN BY GMC'S INVESTIGATION SPECIALIST. I WITNESSED THE INVESTIGATION. I SPOKE TO A FORENSIC ENGINEER ON MARCH 5, 2010, WHO STATED THE TEMPERATURES READ FROM THE RAYTEC ARE INACCURATE AS THEY WERE NOT DONE DURING COMPRESSION OF THE CAR SEAT TO SIMULATE SITTING IN THE SEAT. THIS FORENSIC ENGINEER INFORMED ME THAT THE ACCURATE TEMPERATURES WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER . I HAVE NOT TRIED THE SEAT WARMERS SINCE MY INJURY, BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO INCUR FURTHER INJURY OR POSSIBLY WORSE, SUCH AS A FIRE HAZARD. AT THIS POINT, THE CLAIM IS ONGOING. I AM VERY UPSET WITH GMC AND THEIR HANDLING OF THIS CLAIM. IT SEEMS THAT THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY FAMILY ARE BEING DISREGARDED. *TR