NHTSA Complaint #10692824 — 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA

THE REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER FAILED TO OPERATE AND A BURNING SMELL WAS DETECTED BY PASSENGERS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR THAT ROUTES THE POWER TO THE REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER HAS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND OVERHEATS AND BURNS DUE TO IMPROPERLY SIZED CONNECTOR PINS IN WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR LOCATED NEAR THE PASSENGER KICK PANEL. THE PROBLEM IS ALSO DOCUMENTED IN A NUMBER OF SITES ON THE INTERNET INCLUDING YOUTUBE WHERE A VIDEO OF THE EXACT FAILURE WAS FOUND TO BE THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AS IN OUR IMPALA. THIS IS THE WEBSITE: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=JFWBDZJQARU I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FAILED/BURNED CONNECTOR IN MY CAR BUT I DON'T SEE WHERE I CAN SUBMIT THEM. JUDGING BY THE DESIGN PROBLEM, THIS SAME PROBLEM WOULD BE FOUND IN EVERY IMPALA USING THIS CONNECTOR SINCE THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ARE NOT SIZED PROPERLY TO CARRY THE HIGH CURRENT TO THE DEFOGGER. THIS IS A DEFINITE FIRE HAZARD AND THE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THE FAILURE - I CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT/PROBLEM. *TR