NHTSA Complaint #10648869 — 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA

THE GM RECALL TO REPAIR FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES IS A SHAM. THE PROBLEM WAS ANNOUNCED LAST WINTER; IN AUGUST 2014 I RECEIVED A LETTER TELLING ME ABOUT THE RECALL AND THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A FURTHER LETTER WHEN THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BECAME AVAILABLE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM'S CHEVROLET DIVISION, WHICH THEY DATED "SEPTEMBER 2014" INFORMING ME THAT MY "2011 MODEL YEAR CHEVROLET IMPALA WAS INVOLVED IN GM RECALL 14299. THIS LETTER IS TO INFORM YOU THAT PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO REPAIR YOUR VEHICLE." A CALL THIS MORNING, MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014, TO MY CHEVROLET DEALER, JOHNSON MOTORS, BRIGHTON, COLORADO, THAT SERVICES MY VEHICLE INFORMED ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS, AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE. "I SHOULD KEEP CALLING BACK." I ASKED IF COULD BE PUT ON A LIST TO CALL WHEN THE PART(S) BECAME AVAILABLE, AND WAS TOLD A BLUNT "NO." THEY DO NOT KEEP A LIST OF CUSTOMERS TO CALL. A CALL TO GM'S CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMED ME THAT THE 'PARTS' CONSISTED OF A DEVICE, LIKELY PLASTIC, MAYBE METAL, THAT FITS ON THE IGNITION KEY ITSELF, DOING NOTHING FOR THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM TO BEGIN WITH. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO BE INFORMED WHEN THE PART(S) WOULD BE AVAILABLE. AT THAT POINT I LOST MY TEMPER. THIS IS A PATENTLY ABSURD RESPONSE ON THE PART OF GM TO A SERIOUS IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM THAT HAS CAUSED AT LEAST 25 DEATHS SO FAR AND UNTOLD NUMBERS OF NON-FATAL ACCIDENTS. THEIR "FIX" HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT INSTEAD A SHAM PIECE OF PLASTIC WILL BE ADDED TO THE OWNER'S KEY, IF SHE/HE IS PERSISTENT ENOUGH TO FIND ONE AVAILABLE. YOU, THE NHTSA, SHOULD BE LEVYING HEAVY FINES AGAINST GM FOR EVERY DAY THIS SHAM RESPONSE OF THEIRS IS PERPETRATED. I WILL BE COPYING THIS TO BOTH MY U.S. SENATORS AND TO MY CONGRESSMAN. *TR