NHTSA Complaint #10671662 — 2011 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

THE AIRBAG READINESS LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AFTER COMPLETING SELF CHECK DIAGNOSTICS THAT ARE INITIATED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. THIS INDICATES THE SYSTEM MAY NOT BE WORKING PROPERLY AND MAY NOT INFLATE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH OR COULD DEPLOY WITHOUT A CRASH. ALSO, THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER MAY NOT WORK PROPERLY. CHEVROLET DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM IN DECEMBER, 2014. A CONNECTOR FROM THE SEAT BELT AND SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG SENSORS HAD DISLODGED FROM A RETAINED POSITION (CLIP ATTACHED TO A BAR) UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE TECHNICIAN REATTACHED THE CONNECTOR USING THE CLIP TO THE FASTEN IT TO THE BAR UNDER THE SEAT AND CLEARED ERROR MESSAGES FROM THE COMPUTER. THIS ELIMINATED THE AIRBAG READINESS LIGHT. THE TECHNICIAN BELIEVED THAT THE MOVEMENT OF THE SEAT WITH THE CONNECTOR IMPROPERLY SECURED CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM RECURRED ON JANUARY 2, 2015, ONCE UPON START UP, CLEARED, AND THEN AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. I CHECKED THE CONNECTOR AND IT AGAIN HAD DISLODGED. WHEN THE CONNECTOR IS ATTACHED TO THE BAR UNDER THE SEAT, THE CONNECTOR IT IS SO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR THAT WHEN THE SEAT IS MOVED, THE CONNECTOR DRAGS ON THE FLOOR, DISLODGING IT. THE SEAT MOVEMENT APPARENTLY RESULTS IN A LOSS OF CONTINUITY IN THE SYSTEM ILLUMINATING THE AIRBAG READINESS LIGHT. THE VEHICLE HAS A MEMORY SEAT AND HENCE, IT MOVES ITS FULL TRAVEL DISTANCE BACK UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE AND THEN RETURNS TO A PRESET POSITION UPON STARTING THE CAR. MY CONCERN IS THAT, ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THIS MAY DISABLE THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG, CAUSE IT TO DEPLOY WITHOUT A CRASH AND CAUSE THE SHOULDER BELT PRETENSIONER TO FAIL IN AN ACCIDENT. SINCE THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, THE PROBLEM COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME. *TR