NHTSA Complaint #10557570 — 2004 CHEVROLET COLORADO

THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED TWICE. IT INVOLVES THE HEATER BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR ASSEMBLY. 8 YEARS AGO MY DAUGHTER USED PUT HER BACK PACK ON THE PASSENGER FLOOR WHERE IT REPEATEDLY MADE IMPACTED THE CONNECTION TO THE BLOWER MOTOR RELAY ASSEMBLY. THIS EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE PIN AND SOCKET ON THE ORANGE WIRE TO SEPARATE TO THE POINT WHERE IT ARCED AND BURNT. I FOUND AND REPAIRED THE SOCKET WHEN THE HEATER WOULD ONLY WORK ON HIGH. ON THE 16TH OF DEC 2013, A PASSENGER SIZE 12 SHOES ACCIDENTALLY, AND UNWITTINGLY KICKED THE SAME SPOT AND CAUSED THE SAME FAULT. I REPAIRED THE SOCKET AGAIN. MY COMPLAINT IS THE RESISTOR CONNECTION IS IN A SPOT TO EASILY SERVICE, BUT IT IS IN A VULNERABLE SPOT FOR ACCIDENTAL CONTACT. I BELIEVE IT NEEDS A ROBUST PROTECTIVE COVER, EITHER METAL OR PLASTIC. FOR PEOPLE THAT CANNOT REPAIR THEIR OWN VEHICLES, THIS SITUATION COULD COST THEM A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS. MY OTHER ELECTRICAL FAULT IS THE RIGHT SIDE WINDOW MOTOR. IT QUIT WORKING COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE IT APART AND CLEAN THE BRUSHES. IT WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS UNTIL IT STOPPED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. I REPLACED THE MOTOR BECAUSE I COULD NOT FIND BRUSHES TO REPLACE. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE BRUSHES FAILED BECAUSE THEY WERE MADE BRITTLE FROM SLAMMING THE DOORS TOO HARD BY THE PASSENGERS. THE DOORS ARE LIGHT AND IT IS COMMON FOR THEM TO SLAMMED. THE BRUSHES OR THE MOTOR NEED TO BE MORE ROBUST. *TR