NHTSA Complaint #10428156 — 2005 GMC ENVOY XUV

ONE INCIDENT WHERE THE DOOR MALFUNCTIONED IN A POSITION WHERE THE DOOR CAME COMPLETELY OFF THREE OF THE LATCHES AND THE DOOR WAS ONLY BEING HELD ON BY THE NON-ELECTRONIC LATCH, THE DOOR FELL INTO MY ARMS AND I HAD TO HOLD THE DOOR UP AND MANUALLY PLACE IT INTO POSITION SO I COULD GET IT TO CLOSE. HAD I NOT CAUGHT THE DOOR, IT WOULD HAVE FALLEN TO THE GROUND. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE THAT THE DOOR FELL OUT ONTO ME, CAUSING INJURY. ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2011 THE DOOR CAME OPEN WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, AS THE VEHICLE PULLED AWAY AT A GREEN LIGHT THE DOOR FLUNG OPEN IN A TAILGATE FASHION(TRUCKBED STYLE) AND SLAMMED AGAINST THE STOPS CAUSING THE WINDOW TO SHATTER ON THE ROAD. PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING, WE WERE LOADING GROCERIES INTO THE BACK WITH THE DOOR OPENED IN THE SWING DOOR FASHION( TO THE SIDE) WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR, IT JUST BOUNCED BACK AND DID NOT SECURE. WE KEPT TRYING TO SECURE THE DOOR AND FINALLY THE DOOR SECURED, BUT IT WOULD ONLY SECURE WITH ONE ELECTRONIC LATCH AND THE MANUAL LATCH, THE TOP LEFT LATCH WOULD NOT CLOSE. IT SHOWED AJAR ON THE DASH. AS STATED ABOVE WHEN WE PULLED AWAY AT A GREEN LIGHT, THE DOOR FLUNG OPEN LIKE A TRUCK BED STYLE WITH THE WINDOW UP. THE DOOR IS NOT DESIGNED TO OPEN TRUCKBED STYLE WITH THE WINDOW UP, THE WINDOW NEEDS TO BE IN THE OPEN POSITION BEFORE IT WILL OPEN TRUCK BED STYLE. EVEN IF YOU WERE TO ACTIVATE THE TRUCKBED LATCH OPENER, THE DOOR WOULD SENSE THAT THE WINDOW WAS UP AND DEFAULT TO THE SIDE SWING METHOD. THE TAILGATE DOOR IS A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE POOR DESIGN OF THE DOOR WHICH ALLOWS WATER AND DIRT/SAND TO INFILTRATE THE LATCHES AND CAUSE UN-WANTED OPERATIONS WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. *TR