NHTSA Complaint #10597216 — 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER RANDOMLY TURNS ITSELF ON. WHEN YOU TURN IT OFF IT COMES BACK ON AGAIN AND RANDOMLY CYCLES THROUGH THE VARIOUS SETTINGS. IT'S ALMOST A CONSTANT BATTLE TRYING TO KEEP IT TURNED OFF WHICH CREATES A HAZARDOUS SITUATION EQUAL TO, OR WORSE, THEN TEXTING WHILE DRIVING AS YOU HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING DOWN TO PUSH THE BUTTON, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FLORIDA WHERE YOU DON'T NEED (OR WANT) SEAT HEAT IN THE SUMMER. I'VE FOUGHT THIS TO THE POINT THAT I'VE WORN THE PAINT OFF THE SWITCH. IF YOU SEARCH THE INTERNET THIS IS A VERY PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES DURING THESE MODEL YEARS. I ALSO HAVE A 2006 GMC SIERRA THAT DOES THE EXACT SAME THING. I'VE BEEN TO AT LEAST 5 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND EITHER THEY CAN'T FIX IT OR THEY CLAIM THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. THAT CAN'T BE TRUE SINCE GM ISSUED A TSB FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE RECOMMENDED FIX (REPROGRAMMING THE DRIVER DOOR SWITCH) ACTUALLY DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IN FACT, WHEN THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED MY GMC IT ACTUALLY MADE IT WORSE TO WHERE IT HAPPENS MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY. I CONTACTED GM AND EVEN THOUGH I TOOK IT TO A DEALER 4-5 MONTHS AGO WHERE THEY COULDN'T FIX IT, GM SAYS I HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER (PAY ANOTHER $100 DIAGNOSTIC FEE) TO MEET THEIR POLICY THAT THEY WILL ONLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE IF YOU'VE BEEN TO A DEALER WITHIN THE LAST 30 DAYS. SOME REPORTS ARE THE SEAT HEATER ELEMENTS ARE SHORTING OUT. EITHER WAY THIS CREATES A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION FOR DRIVERS. GM SAYS I CAN PULL THE FUSE FOR THE SEAT HEATERS. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU REMOVE THE FUSE LABELED "SEAT HEATER" IT ACTUALLY DOES NOTHING. THE SEATS ARE STILL POWERED AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS CLEARLY INDICATES AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND DESIGN FLAW. THE ONLY SURE CURE IS TO REMOVE THE 30 AMP BREAKER UNDER THE DASH RENDERING YOUR DRIVER/PASSENGER INOPERATIVE. GM MUST FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED FROM BEING DISTRACTED. *TR