NHTSA Complaint #10614896 — 2003 OLDSMOBILE ALERO

THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON A RAINY DAY IN 2011. I WAS A NEW DRIVER AT THE TIME. WHILE I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL, I PUT ON MY TURN SIGNAL TO CHANGE LANES. THERE WAS HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD, AND I WAS GOING TO NEED SOMEONE TO LET ME INTO THE LANE. MY TURN SIGNAL, HOWEVER, MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE RESULTING LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE OTHER DRIVER VERY NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. THE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE TURN SIGNALS OCCURS MOST OFTEN DURING WET OR HUMID CONDITIONS. ONLY RECENTLY DID I DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN I ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE THE TURN SIGNAL AND IT MALFUNCTIONS, IT CAN OFTENTIMES BE REMEDIED BY APPLYING A SMALL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON. IT WAS ONLY A FEW DAYS AGO THAT I ENCOUNTERED AN EXISTING RECALL FOR EARLIER MODELS OF MY CAR. THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON HAS BEEN RECALLED ON THE PREVIOUS TWO MODEL YEARS (2001-2002) OF THE OLDSMOBILE ALERO. IT CAN NOT BE A COINCIDENCE THAT THE SAME PROBLEM IS OCCURRING IN MY VEHICLE. I LOOKED INTO GETTING THE BUTTON REPLACED, BUT THE LABOR COSTS MAKE REPLACEMENT AN EXPENSIVE OPTION. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A SYSTEMIC DEFECT THAT EGREGIOUSLY AFFECTS THE FUNCTIONALITY AND SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE. PLEASE CONSIDER EXTENDING THE RECALL OF THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON TO THE 2003 MODEL YEAR OF THE OLDSMOBILE ALERO. THANK YOU. *TR