NHTSA Complaint #10717413 — 2013 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

I PURCHASED A NEW BLACK 2013 CHEVROLET SILVERADO CREW CAB IN OCTOBER 2012 FROM MARINE CHEVROLET IN JACKSONVILLE, NC WITH A 3 YR/36,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. ON 16 MAY, 2015, I CALLED MARINE CHEVROLET'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT A 1 1/2"CRACK ABOVE THE CENTER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. MY TRUCK HAD 37,017 MILES AND WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY. HOWEVER, I WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. THE DEALERSHIP SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR 8:30 AM ON 18 MAY, 2015. AFTER CONDUCTING RESEARCH OVER THE WEEKEND, I LEARNED THAT OTHER CHEVY AND GMC OWNERS OF TRUCK AND SUV MODELS BETWEEN 2007 AND 2013 REPORTED CRACKED DASHES NEAR THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS. ON 18 MAY, I BROUGHT MY TRUCK TO MARINE CHEVROLET'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO EXAMINE THE CRACK. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INITIALLY TOLD ME THAT SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, CHEVROLET WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. I EXPLAINED THAT THE CRACK HAPPENED LESS THAN THREE YEARS AFTER I PURCHASED THE TRUCK AND I WAS AWARE OF THE HISTORY OF THESE DASHBOARDS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TALKED TO HIS SERVICE MANAGER AND LATER TOLD ME THAT GM WOULD PAY THE MAJORITY OF THE MAINTENANCE COST AND THAT I WOULD ONLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR $100. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ONLINE COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN IN FORUMS AND ONLINE NEWS ARTICLES, I FEEL GM MAY HAVE INSTALLED DEFECTIVE DASHBOARDS IN 2007 - 2013 TRUCK AND SUV MODELS AND PASSED THE COST OF DEFECTIVE PARTS ONTO THE CUSTOMER. ADDITIONALLY, IF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYS WITH A CRACK DASHBOARD SURROUNDING IT, THERE COULD AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF DASHBOARD SHRAPNEL FLYING INTO A PASSENGER'S FACE. I THINK NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE CRACKING DASHBOARD ISSUE IN GM'S SUVS AND PICK-UP TRUCKS FROM 2007 - 2013 AND INFLUENCE GM TO ISSUE A RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.