NHTSA Complaint #10788295 — 2008 BUICK LUCERNE

THIS CONCERNS MY 2008 BUICK LUCERNE, IT HAS THE CASHMERE INTERIOR COLOR. SOMETHING I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT. GM DOES NOT MAKE AN IMPORTANT REPLACEMENT INTERIOR PART ANYMORE. PN: 20954443 IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM ANY DEALER IN THE U.S. THIS IS A SEAT TRIM PART FOR THE OUTSIDE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT CRACKS FROM NORMAL USE BECAUSE IT IS FORCED TO FLEX WHEN A PERSON SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, OVER TIME THIS FLEXING CRACKS THE PART. THE CRACKED PART THEN HAS SHARP EDGES WHICH CATCHES CLOTHING, AND COULD CAUSE LEG CUTS. AS A SIDE NOTE, THE SHALE COLORED PART IS PN: 15273992, AND THE TITANIUM PN: IS 15273994 (THIS PART I WAS ABLE TO STILL FIND, AND I WILL HAVE TO PAINT IT CASHMERE TO MATCH MY CAR). THESE PARTS FIT ALL THE "NOT HEATED SEATS" LUCERNE MODELS FROM 2006 TO 2011, THOUSANDS OF CARS I SUSPECT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE TRIM PART (MIRROR OPPOSITE) IS STILL AVAILABLE FROM A FEW SOURCES. IT ALSO FALLS AND CRACKS FOR THE SAME REASON. HAS GM PULLED THIS PART FROM INVENTORY FOR A REDESIGN? IT HAS BEEN JUST FOUR YEARS SINCE THAT LAST BUICK LUCERNE WAS SOLD, THE 2011 MODEL; IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FIND REPLACEMENT PARTS.