NHTSA Complaint #10471584 — 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET MY SON FROM THE VEHICLE, THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER HANDLE ASSEMBLY PULLED AWAY FROM THE DOOR HOUSING AND INTO MY HAND. THE LINKAGE REMAINED INTACT, SO I PUSHED THE HANDLE BACK INTO PLACE AND LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. UPON BORESCOPE REVIEW, THE MOUNTING BRACKET TO WHICH THE HANDLE FASTENED WAS SO BADLY CORRODED THAT IT DISINTEGRATED WHEN I CLOSED THE DOOR AND DROPPED TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. MIND YOU NOW THAT THIS CORROSION TOOK PLACE INSIDE THE DOOR HOUSING AS THE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY IS NOT SEALED WHATSOEVER FROM THE EXTERIOR ELEMENTS (AND GM WONDERS WHY THE RECENT DOOR.WINDOW SWITCH RECALL OCCURRED). UPON REVIEW OF THE RIGHT SIDE REAR PASSENGER DOOR, I NOTICED THE SAME RUST STAINING BELOW THAT HANDLE (VEHICLE IS WHITE, SO CONTRAST IS GOOD) SO IT IS LIKLEY ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THAT FAILS AS WELL. I CONTACTED CHEVY, WAS ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER & TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERS FOR REQUIRED ASSESSMENT. WAS CALLED THE NEXT DAY BY CHEVY AND TOLD THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE "DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE CLIMATE WHERE I LIVE" (NORTHEAST). I QUESTIONED THEIR RATIONALE AND ASKED THEM IF THEY SOLD SPECIFIC VEHICLES TO NE CUSTOMERS - THEIR REPLY WAS "NO". I AGAIN REITERATED THAT THE CORROSION TOOK PLACE ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR, NOT THE EXTERIOR - HOWEVER THE SCRIPTED RESPONSE FROM CSR WAS THE SAME. I STRONGLY URGE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM FURTHER AS IT IS A DEFINITIVE SAFETY ISSUE IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH MY CHILDREN WOULD HAVE TO BE RAPIDLY EXTRACTED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE FIRST RESPONDER IS SITTING THERE WITH A FAULTY HANDLE IN HIS HAND. YES, THEY COULD BREAK THE WINDOW, BUT TRY TELLING A 1 & 3 YEAR OLD TO CLOSE THEIR EYES AND TURN THEIR HEAD AND SEE IF COMPLIANCE IS ATTAINED! *TR