NHTSA Complaint #10631203 — 2008 CHEVROLET UPLANDER

SAFETY ISSUE: THE FIRST OCCURRENCE DATE IS AN ESTIMATE, AS I DO NOT REMEMBER, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AGAIN THIS NIGHT: FOR NO REASON AT ALL THE ALARM BEGAN GOING OFF (OF COURSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT). I WAS AWAKE. I LIVE IN A PRETTY SAFE PARK. AT APPROXIMATELY 1230A THE ALARM WENT OFF. I RAN OUT TO CHECK AND THERE WAS NO ONE AND NOTHING AROUND THAT COULD HAVE TRIPPED IT, ESPECIALLY SINCE I DIDN'T SET IT. THE VAN WAS UNLOCKED, THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND HANGING BY THE LANYARD. I GRABBED THE FOB AND SHUT IF OFF. 20 MINUTES LATER, IT DID IT AGAIN, THEN AGAIN, THEN AGAIN,T HEN AGAIN, EACH TIME ABOUT 20 MINUTES APART. I WAS STARTING TO PANIC BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO ANGER THE NEIGHBORS AND END UP EVICTED. MY SPOUSE AND I HAD TO PULL THE HORN FUSE TO SILENCE THE CAR. THE LIGHTS WENT OFF ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, THEN THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY...I THOUGHT. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THIS AND AN ISSUE WITH THE LOCKING SYSTEM (DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH EITHER THE FOB OR THE INSIDE SWITCH). THEY APOLOGIZED AND OFFERED TO AUTHORIZE REPAIRS, BUT INFORMED ME THAT THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WAS MY PROBLEM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TWO ISSUES ARE LINKED. THE LOCK PROBLEM CAME FIRST. BUT BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF REPAIRS (I AM LOW INCOME), I HAVE TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE USE OF MY HORN, WHICH IS A NO-NO AND A SAFETY PROBLEM. TONIGHT, THE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING ON THEIR OWN. THEY FLASHED TWICE, THEN STOPPED FOR ALMOST A MINUTE, THEN DID IT AGAIN A FEW TIMES MORE, THEN IT STOPPED ALTOGETHER. LATER, IT DID IT AGAIN...AND AGAIN...THE LOCK ISSUE IS A HEALTH HAZARD FOR ME BECAUSE I HAVE A PLETHORA OF ILLNESSES THAT CAUSE ME DISABILITY. I MUST PULL HEAVY OBJECTS OVER THE RUMBLE SEAT TO THE SINGLE SEAT IN FRONT OF IT, GET OUT OF THE CAR (PAINFUL TO MY KNEES AND LOWER BACK), THEN GET THE ITEM OUT. WHEN I AM FINISHED, I AM LITERALLY FINISHED. I AM CAUSED PHYS. & MENTAL PAIN. *TR