NHTSA Complaint #10630254 — 2011 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500

THERE A DEEP GASH/CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THAT STARTS AT THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF PASSENGER AIRBAG! VERY CONCERNED AFTER I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM AND CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE INSTANCES OF THIS ON GM VEHICLES 'ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND THE COMPLAINTS DATE BACK TO 2006. ALSO NOTING THAT MOST EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM ABOUT 24-48 MONTHS AFTER NEW VEHICLE OWNERSHIP, THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM AND A SAFETY PROBLEM! #1 IF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS EITHER FROM NECESSITY OR RANDOMLY DUE TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE DASHBOARD BEING COMPROMISED, THE DASHBOARD COULD BREAK APART INTO SMALL SHARP PIECES THAT COULD BE LIKE "SHRAPNEL" AND CAUSE SEVERE INJURY OR WORSE! #2 SINCE THE STRUCTURE IS COMPROMISED, WHAT IS THE WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION THAT THERE ARE NO SAFETY FACTORS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IF THE AIRBAG DOES RANDOMLY DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING?! IN THIS INSTANCE, IT COULD ALSO RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH SHOULD A DRIVER BE STARTLED AT THE UNWARRANTED DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG AND SWERVE THE VEHICLE OR WORSE, MY DEALERSHIP, KUNI OF SACRAMENTO WAS ONLY WILLING TO REPAIR IF I PAID A PORTION OF THE COST, AND GM PAID A PORTION. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM; THEREFORE, WHY SHOULD I PAY ANY PORTION OF THE REPAIR COST? I ALSO NOTICED THAT MOST THAT PAID FOR THEIR REPAIRS HAD RECURRENCE OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITHIN 24 MONTHS OR LESS!!!! #1 A CONSUMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY REPAIRS FOR MANUFACTURER PROBLEMS AND, #2 IF THE DEALERSHIP AND OR GM IS UNWILLING TO PROVIDE THIS "AT NO COST TO CONSUMER SERVICE " AND THEY STATE THE VEHICLE IS SAFE, THEN A WRITTEN GUARANTEE THAT THIS AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THEN A WRITTEN STATEMENT MUST BE PROVIDED TO ALL OF US AS CONSUMERS OF GM PRODUCTS BY GENERAL MOTORS, INC! *TR