NHTSA Complaint #10731145 — 1999 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

WHEN THE VEHICLE TAKES OFF FROM A DEAD STOP OR COMES TO A STOP THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT MOVE IN THE TRACK ABOUT A QUARTER INCH OR SO CREATING AN UNEASY AND UNSAFE FEELING WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE ONLINE RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT PLAGUES JUST ABOUT EVERY 1997-2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE EQUIPPED WITH POWER SEATS. I DISCOVERED THAT THE BUSHINGS THAT WERE USED IN THE SEAT TRACKS WERE MADE FROM INFERIOR MATERIALS AND DISINTEGRATE OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND ALLOW THE SEAT TO MOVE IN THE TRACK WHILE TAKING OFF OR STOPPING. IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF IF IT WILL HAPPEN BUT WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. TO MY UNDERSTANDING GENERAL MOTORS HAS MADE NO EFFORT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ON THEIR OWN. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME WERE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY REPLACING THE SEAT TRACK BUT THE NEW TRACK WOULD DO THE SAME THING IN TIME. I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED AND WELL OUT OF WARRANTY AND IF IT WERE AN ISOLATED PROBLEM THEN I WOULD ACCEPT THAT AND TRY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, BUT IT'S NOT. IT HAS HAPPENED TO JUST ABOUT ALL CORVETTES BUILT BETWEEN 1997-2004. IN FACT THERE IS AN AFTERMARKET REPAIR KIT FOR THIS BUT IT REQUIRES THE REMOVAL OF THE SEAT AND DISASSEMBLY OF THE SEAT TRACK AND A VERY CAREFUL REASSEMBLY AFTER THE BUSHINGS ARE REPLACED. WE ARE NOT ALL MECHANICS NOR CAN WE ALL AFFORD THE 600.00 PER SEAT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. SOME OF US DO WELL JUST TO BE ABLE TO BUY A CAR LIKE THAT. THAT'S WHY IT'S A 1999 AND NOT A 2015. I LOVE THIS CAR, IT SEEMS A SHAME THAT A CAR THAT COST 40,000.00 WHEN IT WAS NEW SHOULD HAVE SUCH A PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH SLIGHTLY BETTER QUALITY. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. THE PARTS COST FOR G.M. ON THIS REPAIR WOULD NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR THEM, HOWEVER THE LABOR INVOLVED FOR THEM TO DO THE REPAIRS WOULD PROBABLY BE WHAT THEY WOULD BALK AT. THANK YOU AGAIN. *TR