NHTSA Complaint #10956661 — 2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500

WHILE COMMUTING TO WORK ON INTERSTATE 15, NORTHBOUND ON FEBRUARY 1, 2017, WITH MY TWO SONS IN THE VEHICLE, I SMELLED SMOKE. I PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE AND REALIZED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS ON FIRE (PICTURES ATTACHED). I NOTICED THE SWITCH FOR THE HEATED SEAT WAS ON, SO I TURNED IT OFF. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN BUTTE, MT (APPROX. 15 MILES) AND HAD THEM DISCONNECT THE ELECTRICAL TO THE SEAT AND ENSURE IT WAS NOT STILL BURNING. THIS DISABLED THE POWER SEAT, SEAT HEATER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAGS. I CONTACTED GM PRODUCT SERVICES TO INFORM THEM AND THEY STARTED A SERVICE REQUEST, NUMBER 8-2712194856. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN DILLON, MT WHERE I LIVE FOR INSPECTION. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP FINISHED THE INSPECTION AND SENT THEIR FINDINGS TO GM PRODUCT SERVICES I WAS INFORMED BY THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP SPECIALIST AT GM THAT THEY HAD COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION AND CLOSED THE CASE ON MY "PRODUCT ALLEGATION", CONCLUDING IT WAS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" THAT CAUSED THE SEAT TO CATCH FIRE AND THAT GM WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY REPAIR OR DAMAGES. WHEN I ASKED HOW TO PROCEED WITH APPEAL OF THEIR DECISION, I WAS INFORMED THEIR DECISION WAS FINAL AND NON-APPEALABLE. I REQUESTED WRITTEN RECORD OF THEIR FINDINGS TO WHICH THEY SENT THE ATTACHED LETTER STATING THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY AND SUGGESTED I RESOLVE THE MATTER WITH MY INSURANCE CARRIER. THEIR LETTER STATED NOTHING SPECIFIC OF THEIR FINDINGS DURING THE INSPECTION. I REQUESTED INFO FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT DID THE INSPECTION AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT RELEASE THAT INFORMATION WITHOUT CONSENT FROM GM. MY INSURANCE CARRIER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DOCUMENTED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.