NHTSA Complaint #10704556 — 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA

AT FIRST IT WAS JUST THE PASSENGER REAR DOOR LOCK THAT WOULD NOT UNLOCK ALL THE TIME AND THEN THE DRIVER SIDE REAR LOCK STARTED TO BE INTERMITTENT BUT AS OF FEBRUARY 2015, NEITHER WILL AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCK EVEN USING THE DOOR HANDLE. WE HAVE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS AND UNLOCK. ONCE UNLOCKED THEY THEN RARELY LOCK WITH THE KEY FOB. WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM, IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE NOR WOULD FIRST RESPONDERS BE ABLE TO QUICKLY EXTRICATE ANY PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SEAT. THIS WORRIES US AS WE DO TAKE PEOPLE IN THE BACK SEAT. IF THERE WAS A CHILD OR INFANT, IT WOULD BE HORRIFIC WE HAVE FRIENDS WITH A 2009 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND THEIR REAR LOCKS ARE INTERMITTENT AND ONE IS GETTING WORSE. I WILL BET THERE A NUMBER OF CARS JUST LIKE OURS. I HAVE HAD CARS AS LONG AS 15YRS AND NEVER HAD A DOOR LOCK PROBLEM. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CAR THAT IS 31 YRS OLD AND THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT FAIL - AND IT IS A CHEVROLET ALSO. THE DEALER HAS TOLD US OUR CAR IS NOW ALMOST 6 YRS OLD AND THAT WE WILL JUST HAVE TO SUCK IT UP AND PAY TO HAVE THEM FIXED. WE THINK IT IS A DEFICIT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE DOOR LOCKS AND THAT CHEVROLET SHOULD PAY FOR IT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE SOME CHILD GETS KILLED OR ADULTS GET TRAPPED. *TR