NHTSA Complaint #10404280 — 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE

ON 3, JUNE, 2011, THE RIGHT PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR ON OUR 2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE MINIVAN WOULD NOT LATCH ON THE BACK LATCH, RESULTING IN THE DOOR ONLY BEING PARTIALLY, AND DANGEROUSLY LATCHED BY ONLY THE FRONT LATCH. SOMETIMES IT WON'T LATCH ON THE FRONT LATCH EITHER. THIS IS NOT A POWER SLIDING DOOR; BUT I'VE SEEN SEVERAL RECALLS FOR FAILED LATCHES ON THE POWER SLIDING DOORS. WE HAVE CALLED, GONE TO JUNK YARDS TO NO AVAIL, AND DEALERSHIPS SAY THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE LATCH. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, AS THE DOOR COULD COME OFF DURING TRAVEL, OR WORSE, FLY OPEN DURING MOTION, PLACING THE MIDDLE SEAT PASSENGER AT RISK OF FALLING OUT OF A MOVING VEHICLE. FOR SAFETY, DOOR LATCHES ARE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE FAIL SAFE IN AUTOMOBILES. ONE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD COST OVER $220.00 TO REPAIR, IF THEY COULD GET THE PARTS. IF??? THE CAR ONLY HAS 152K MILES. IN LIGHT OF THE RECALLS FOR THE POWER SLIDING DOOR LATCHES FAILING, I WOULD THINK GM WOULD HONOR THE FAILURE OF THE DOOR LATCHES ON THE MANUAL SLIDING DOORS. THIS JUST HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE, WITH NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. IT JUST QUIT LATCHING. THANK YOU. *TR