NHTSA Complaint #10632500 — 2013 CHEVROLET VOLT

WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A MODERATE RATE OF DECELERATION, I NOTICED THAT MY DRIVERS SEAT HAD FORWARD/BACKWARD PLAY IN IT. THE ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND NOTICING THAT MY SEAT BACK SHIFTED FORWARD (~1/2" OF PLAY). I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE AT A STOP BY SHIFTING MY WEIGHT IN THE SEAT. ALL MOTION APPEARS TO SOURCE FROM THE RECLINING MECHANISM, NOT THE SEAT RAILS. THIS ISSUE WAS PRESENTED TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP BUT THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED IN A NEW VEHICLE SO IT WAS LABELED AS "INTENDED OPERATION." A REPEAT INVESTIGATION IN SEPTEMBER 2014 ALSO PRODUCED THE SAME RESPONSE. AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SAFETY SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE, IT IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR A SEAT TO HAVE PLAY IN THE RECLINING MECHANISM AND EQUALLY AS INAPPROPRIATE FOR THAT TO BE CONSIDERED "INTENDED OPERATION." THE PASSENGER SEAT DOES NOT EXHIBIT THESE ISSUES, AND A REVIEW OF THE GM-VOLT.COM FORUMS INDICATES THAT WHILE THE PROBLEM EXISTS IN OTHER VEHICLES, IT IS BY NO MEANS UNIVERSAL ACROSS THE MODEL. *TR