NHTSA Complaint #10745829 — 2010 BUICK LUCERNE

THE DRIVER'S SIDE, INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IS BROKEN. THE ENTIRE INSIDE DOOR PANEL MUST BE REPLACED. THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE. THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT PART BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO GET ONE. I HAVE CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL SALVAGE YARDS AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ONE THERE EITHER. I AM 79 YEARS OLD WITH ARTHRITIS. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL JOINT REPLACEMENTS AS WELL. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND OPEN THE DOOR USING THE OUTSIDE HANDLE. I AM UNABLE TO CRAWL OVER THE CONSOLE TO GET OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. WHEN AT HOME I PARK IN THE GARAGE AND LEAVE THE WINDOW DOWN. LAST WEEK I GOT IN MY CAR AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. FORTUNATELY ,THIS HAPPENED AT HOME IN MY GARAGE WHERE I LEAVE THE WINDOW DOWN. IF I HAD ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION AND THEN CAME BACK AND GOT IN MY CAR THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN MY CAR ON A HUMID SUNNY 94 DEGREE DAY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER MY DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO GET A REPLACEMENT PART. MY SON AND I HAVE BOTH CONTACTED BUICK. OTHER THAN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED OUR COMPLAINTS THEY HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RESPOND. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DEFECT AS THE TEMPERATURE IN THIS AREA REGULARLY EXCEEDS 90 DEGREES IN THE SUMMER, AND BELOW FREEZING IN THE WINTER. I AM WRITING THIS ON BEHALF OF MY 79 YEAR OLD MOTHER [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).? *JB