NHTSA Complaint #10627130 — 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA

REAR PASSENGER DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK, TRAPPING PASSENGERS AFTER PARKING VEHICLE NETHER OF THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS COULD BE OPENED. BOTH REAR PASSENGER DOORS REMAIN LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED USING ETHER THE LOCK CONTROLS LOCATED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR CONTROL OR WITH THE KEY FOB. MY 90+ YEAR OLD PARENT WAS IN REAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. DUE TO SEVERE DEMENTIA THEY BECAME PANICKY AND AGITATED WHEN THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPEN THE DOOR USING THE PASSENGER LOCK NOR COULD THEY FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS TO DO SO. THIS WOULD BE THE SAME SITUATION AS HAVING A SMALL CHILD TRAPPED N THE REAR. THE REAR DOOR MANUAL LOCKING MECHANISM ARE LOCATED TO FAR BACK TO BE REACHED FROM THE DRIVERS COMPARTMENT. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO FREE HIM BY ENTERING THE TRUCK AND PUSHING ONE OF THE REAR SEATS FLAT TO ACCESS THE PASSENGER AREA. HAD THIS BEEN A CRASH OR VEHICLE FIRE ANY PASSENGER IN REAR COMPARTMENT WOULD HAVE PERISHED. A REVIEW OF IMPALA OWNER COMPLAINTS ON SEVERAL WEB SITES INDICATES THERE IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE REAR DOOR LOCKS ON THESE IMPALAS BUT GM HAS NOT OFFERED TO FIX WHAT IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR