NHTSA Complaint #10544148 — 2014 CHEVROLET IMPALA

I PURCHASED MY NEW 2014 CHEVROLET IMPALA FROM HAWTHORNE CHEVROLET IN HAWTHORNE, N.J. SOME FOUR (4) MONTHS AGO. I AM THE SOLE OWNER AND DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE. LAST WEEK (AROUND SEPTEMBER 11, 2013) I NOTICED A CRACK IN THE VINYL TOWARD THE RIGHT OF THE GOLD COLORED CHEVROLET BOW TIE POSITIONED IN THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL AREA. THE CRACK IS A SEMI-CIRCULAR LINE THAT HAS A SLIGHT DEPRESSION TO THE IMMEDIATE LEFT OF THE CRACK. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE HAWTHORNE CHEVROLET AND THE VERY NEXT DAY, THEY REPLACED THE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG FOR ME. THIS PART INCLUDES THE "RIGID" BLACK SURFACE VINYL WHERE YOU ACTIVATE THE HORN. THE HORN TAKES AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO ACTIVATE TO MAKE A SOUND DUE TO THE RIGIDITY OF THE VINYL--WHERE THE HORN ICONS (I.E., THE RAISED "TRUMPETS") ARE IS EXTREMELY NON YIELDING--IN MY OPINION. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG WAS INSTALLED AND 1/10 OF A MILE AWAY, I NOTICED THE SLIGHT DEPRESSION AND LINE DEMARCATION ALREADY. HAWTHORNE CHEVROLET'S SERVICE DIRECTOR TOLD ME TO RETURN THE FOLLOWING DAY AND AFTER A 2-1/2 HOUR WAIT THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AND A MECHANIC WALKED ME OUT TO ANOTHER 2014 CHEVROLET IMPALA AND STATED THAT ALL OF THEIR IMPALAS ARE LIKE THIS. I AM WORRIED ABOUT UNPREDICTABLE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, DIFFICULTY IN SOUNDING MY HORN AS I DO MUCH OF MY TRAVELING ON A BUSY/DANGEROUS HIGHWAY, AND I WORRY ABOUT FUTURE/CONTINUED CRACKING OF THAT VINYL SURFACE COVERING WHERE I AM TOLD BY HAWTHORNE CHEVROLET'S SERVICE DIRECTOR IS WHERE THE AIR BAG DEPLOYS. AGAIN...THE CAR IS ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD WITH ONLY 2,200 MILES WHEN THIS CRACKING FIRST OCCURRED. I AM WORRIED THAT WHERE THIS CRACK IS LOCATED THE AIR BAG COULD EXIT. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET'S NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THERE ARE 2 ACTIVE SERVICE REQUEST NUMBERS RELATING TO THE CRACK AND THE HORN SOUNDING MATTER. *TR