NHTSA Complaint #10448388 — 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA

THIS REPORT IS ABOUT SUDDEN AND REPEATED HEADLIGHT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE IN A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA SEDAN, AND A REQUEST FOR A NATIONWIDE SAFETY RECALL AND REPAIR AT GM EXPENSE FOR THIS ISSUE. AFTER GETTING IN MY 2005 IMPALA SEDAN AT APPROXIMATELY 4:55 PM ON 16 FEBRUARY 2012, I STARTED UP AND DROVE OUT ON THE ROAD THEN I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC AND NOTICED THE HEADLIGHTS (LOW BEAM) WERE OUT. I TRIED THE HIGH BEAMS AND THEY WORKED AS DID THE LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNALS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROLS AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTIONED. AS DARKNESS INCREASED I HAD TO HOLD THE SWITCH IN THE HIGH BEAM POSITION SO I COULD SEE TO DRIVE SO I COULD GET HOME. FROM WHAT I COULD DETERMINE THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE IN THE WIRING TO/FROM THE MULTIFUNCTION LIGHT CONTROL SWITCH OR MAYBE IT IS THE SWITCH ITSELF ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THE FUSES AND RELAYS AND THE ALL SEEMED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER BUT THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS STILL DID NOT WORK. THIS FAILURE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME NOW. WITH DEALER PARTS COST FOR A REPLACEMENT MULTIFUNCTION LIGHT SWITCH AT $350.00 ALONE, NOT TO MENTION LABOR COSTS AND THE CRITICALITY OF LIGHTS WHILE DRIVING MEANS THIS SHOULD BE A REQUIRED SAFETY RECALL ITEM. I HAVE SEARCHED MECHANICAL FORUMS ON THIS SUBJECT AND THERE ARE MANY SUCH OCCURRENCES DOCUMENTED, BUT GM DOES NOT SEEM TO THINK THERE IS A COMMON PROBLEM OR A REASON TO INVESTIGATE AND FIX THE MALFUNCTION. THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE AT GM DEALERSHIPS NATIONWIDE. SMELLING BURNING PLASTIC IS AN INDICATION OF A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN ONBOARD FIRE IN THE CAR IN ADDITION TO CAUSING INJURY AND OR DEATH FROM A SUDDEN LIGHT OUTAGE AT NIGHT. AGAIN, I REQUEST A NATIONWIDE SAFETY RECALL AND REPAIR BE INITIATED AS IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. *TR